TRANSPORT

Airports: Parking

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions with stakeholders she has had on competition in the market for airport parking.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Airport parking charges are a commercial matter for the airport operator. The Office of Fair Trading is, however, able to investigate if it suspects that a feature or a combination of features of the market in which airport services are supplied by an airport operator prevents, restricts or distorts competition.
	Ministers have had no specific discussions with stakeholders on this issue.

Aviation

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will place in the Library recent studies her Department has carried out on the economic impact of airport expansion.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Two documents were published on 22 November. The consultation document "Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport", of which the impact assessment forms annex B of this document. The Department also published the "UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts report". Both documents have been placed in the Library and are also available on the Department for Transport's website (www.dft.gov.uk/heathrowconsultation). The consultation runs until 27 February 2008 and, in line with Government practice, a summary of consultation responses will be published and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Aviation: Leisure

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the increase in flights at  (a) Heathrow and  (b) other UK airports in each of the last 10 years was of short haul leisure flights.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is not available.

Bexleyheath Station: Fares

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with Southeastern Railway on the proposed 13 per cent. fare increase at Bexleyheath Station.

Tom Harris: The Government protect commuters by regulating the average annual increases in season tickets. On Southeastern, this increase is limited to 3 per cent. above inflation from 2007 to 2011.
	Individual fares can increase by more than the average, as long as no individual regulated fare increases by more than 8 per cent. above inflation from one year to the next. Therefore, individual regulated fares on Southeastern can rise by up to 11.8 per cent. for 2008.
	Southeastern is committed by its Franchise Agreement to zonalise all fares in London from January 2008, including seasons. To achieve this, and to maintain a balanced fare structure, a general derogation against fares regulation was granted for a number of season fares within London. There were no specific discussions on fares from Bexleyheath.
	The new zonal fares structure on Southeastern will help pave the way for Oyster Pay-As-You-Go smart ticketing, to be rolled out across national rail in London from 2009. It simplifies the current complex system of individually-priced station-to-station fares.

Bus Services: Concessions

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many journeys were made by freedom pass holders on London buses in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally; it can be obtained from the London councils who administer the Freedom Pass scheme on behalf of the London boroughs.

Bus Services: Concessions

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what factors she took into account in distributing the grant to cover the cost of the implementation of the new concessionary fares scheme for bus travel from April 2008; and what representations she has received on the potential inequalities of the distribution of the grant funding;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the ability of councils to pay for the concessionary travel scheme; and whether councils will be required to pay for the costs of visitors to the council area using the concessionary travel scheme.

Rosie Winterton: From 1 April 2008, people aged 60 and over and eligible disabled people in England will be entitled to free off-peak local bus travel anywhere in England, not just within their local area as at present.
	The costs will be apportioned to the Travel Concession Authority where the concessionaire boards the bus rather than where the concessionaire is resident—this is the only practical means of operating an England-wide concession for April next year.
	The extra £212 million for the national bus concession will be distributed by the Department for Transport via a special grant. This extra funding is based on generous assumptions about pass take-up and trip levels and the overall probable cost impact of the new concession. We are therefore confident this funding will be sufficient in aggregate to meet the extra costs to local authorities. In addition, we have announced that we will be providing local authorities with approximately £31 million for the issuing of the national pass.
	Any discretionary local enhancements, such as peak bus travel, are funded from an authority's own resources. Local enhancements can be restricted to eligible local residents. It is for local authorities to implement affordable local schemes taking account of their statutory obligations and their assessment of local circumstances and need.
	Regarding representations on the potential inequalities of the distribution of the grant funding, the Department for Transport's consultation on the formula basis for the distribution of the special grant closed on 23 November. The consultation included a number of different options for distributing the new funding, taking account of likely cost drivers, including bus patronage, eligible residents and visitors. A summary of the responses will be published in due course.
	The provisional special grant distribution was announced on 6 December and will be the subject of a parliamentary debate in the new year.

Cycling: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of her Department's spending has been devoted to encouraging cycling in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The Department provides funding to encourage cycling through a number of different mechanisms. These are through a central budget, to local authorities through the local transport plan (LTP) settlement, and to the Mayor of London via a total transport grant through Transport for London (TfL). These combined give the following spend:
	
		
			   Cycling spend  (£ million) 
			 2002-03 50.2 
			 2003-04 43.0 
			 2004-05 60.4 
			 2005-06 51.2 
			 2006-07 60.3 
		
	
	The DfT integrated block element of the LTP settlement was worth £547 million in 2006-07 while TfL received £2.4 billion. It is for local authorities and TfL to determine their spend on cycling.
	This is a partial picture. There are many other initiatives that can contribute to the encouragement of cycling. For example, road safety and traffic calming schemes such as 20 mph zones or through programmes such as the Sustainable Travel Towns where all forms of sustainable travel including cycling are encouraged.
	It would, therefore, be impossible to disaggregate the expenditure from these programmes and initiatives that have a direct impact upon encouraging cycling.

Departmental Consultants

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what projects her Department has commissioned from external consultants in each of the last five years; and how much was paid by her Department to those consultants in each instance.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Lists have been placed in the Libraries of the House for commissions recorded within the Department and its agencies' accounting systems as consultancy for financial years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.
	Details of the projects commissioned by the Department in financial years 2002-03 and 2003-04 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate costs. Total expenditure recorded by the Department on consultancy in these years was £227.5 million (2002-03) and £239.5 million (2003-04).

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non EU foreign nationals are employed by her Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There are a total of  (a) 55 EU foreign nationals and  (b) 21 non-EU foreign nationals employed in DVLA, GCDA, the Highways Agency, MCA, VCA and VOSA. Details for the Central Department and DSA can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Secondment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many secondments of staff were made  (a) to and  (b) from her Department in each year since 1997; which organisations staff were seconded (i) to and (ii) from; how many staff were seconded in each year; for how long each secondment lasted; and what the cost was of each secondment in each year.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport was created in 2002. The number of outward secondments from the Department each year from 2003, where records exist, are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Secondments out—total  Organisations  Duration 
			 2003 10 Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust 1 year 
			   International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Montreal 1 year 
			   French Ministry of Transport 3 months 
			   European Commission, Brussels x 2 1 year; 4 months 
			   Arriva 2 months 
			   Security Service 2 years 
			   First Great Western Trains 1 month 
			   Canadian Government 23 months 
			 
			 2004 16 Arriva x 2 6 months; 6 months 
			   European Commission, Brussels x 3 1 year; 1 year; 1 year 
			   European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), Portugal x 2 3 years; 25 months 
			   English Heritage 3 years 
			   Standards Board 3 years 
			   Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) 2 years 
			   PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) 1 year 
			   Ernst and Young 1 year 
			   East Midlands Development Agency 15 months 
			   French Transport Ministry 2 years 
			   Japanese Government 3 years 
			   RAF Kinloss 3 years 
			 
			 2005 17 BAA 10 months 
			   Cross London Rail Link x 2 2 years; 2years 
			   West Sussex County Council 2 years 
			   PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) 1 year 
			   Mersey Travel 1 year 
			   European Commission, Brussels x 3 5 months; 2 years; 8 months 
			   Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) 2 years 
			   Greek Transport Ministry 1 month 
			   SERCO 2 months 
			   Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) x 2 4 months; 4 months 
			   Danish Road Authority 6 months 
			   EMSA x 2 4 years; 3 years 
			 
			 2006 16 French Transport Ministry 1 year 
			   Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) 1 year 
			   European Commission, Brussels x 3 6 months; 2 years; 2 years 
			   Transport for London 3 months 
			   Faber Maunsell 4 years 
			   Maritime Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) 1 year 
			   British Council, Brussels 2 years 
			   Lifelites 6 months 
			   Bank of England 2 years 
			   Ertico 6 months 
			   Rijjkswaaters tatt, Holland 2 years 
			   Citizens Advice Bureau 1 year 
			   BVI Administration x 2 2 years; 3 years 
			 
			 2007 18 European Commission, Brussels x 5 2 years; 6 months; 1 year 
			   European Parliament 2 years 
			   European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), Portugal x 2 2 years; 3 years 
			   International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) 3 years 
			   Transport for London 1 year 
			   BRB (Residuary) Ltd. X 2 3 years; 2 years 
			   ACAS 1 year 
			   Connect for Health 1 year 
			   UBS Investment Bank 1 year 
			   South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) 2 years 
			   PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) 6 months 
			   Chamber of Shipping 3 months 
		
	
	The number of inward secondments in the same period, where records exist, are as follows:
	
		
			   Secondments out—total  Organisations  Duration 
			 2003 5 Japanese Government 3 months 
			   Parsons Brinkerhoff Ltd. 5 months 
			   French Road Ministry 2 years 
			   Fire Brigade 4 years 
			   Canadian Government 3.5 years 
			 
			 2004 17 Buckinghamshire County Council 2 years 
			   Milton Keynes Council 4 years 
			   Lancashire Constabulary 3 years 
			   Japanese Government 6 months 
			   Ernst and Young 17 months 
			   Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) 1 year 
			   East Kent Council for Voluntary Services 1 year 
			   Arriva 6 months 
			   Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) 1 year 
			   Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) 5 months 
			   Mercer Management Consulting 3 months 
			   British Airways 2 years 
			   Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) 6 months 
			   Amey Highways 2 months 
			   Danish Road Directorate 2 months 
			   French Transport Ministry 1 year 
			   Fire Brigade 3 years 
			 
			 2005 10 First Group Plc 3 years 
			   PricewaterhouseCoopers x 2 1 year; 9 months 
			   French Transport Ministry 3 years 
			   Essex County Council 2 years 
			   Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) x 2 1 year; 3 months; 
			   Strategic Rail Authority x 2 11 months; 5 months 
			   Fire Brigade 4 years 
			 
			 2006 4 RNIB 2 years 
			   Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) 1 year 
			   Wokingham Social Services 1 year 
			   Fire Brigade  
			 
			 2007 10 Qinetiq 2 years 
			   Energy Saving Trust 4 months 
			   Deloittes 1 year 
			   Freshfields Legal 6 months 
			   PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) 1 year 
			   Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) 3 years 
			   Swedish Ministry of Enterprise 1 month 
			   Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) 3 years 
			   KPMG 1 year 
			   Simmons and Simmons Solicitors 1 year 
			   Ed Excel 1 year 
		
	
	Supporting financial information cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.

Heavy Goods Vehicles: Accidents

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of collisions on motorways in the last 12 months that have involved heavy goods vehicles from mainland Europe where the vehicle has not had adaptations to wing mirrors for use on British roads.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 29 November 2007
	Information is collected on whether vehicles involved in personal injury road accidents are foreign registered. However, no information is collected on either the country of origin or any adaptations to wing mirrors of vehicles involved in road accidents.
	The information on foreign registered vehicles involved in reported personal injury road accidents which is collected is available from table 53 of "Road Casualties Great Britain: 2006 annual report". Copies of the report have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. This table can also be found at the following address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/172974/173025/221412/221549/227755/285672/WebTables4153.xls
	In addition, the Department and agencies have investigated cases of lorries on international journeys involved in sideswipe incidents. Following successful trials in the South East which distributed 40,000 stick-on Fresnel lenses as an immediate solution to the problem, VOSA have published a report on the trials which is available online at www.vosa.gov.uk or from the House of Commons Library.
	It was found that the lens helped to reduce sideswiping incidents in the South East by 58 per cent. We are now investing in further free distribution of 90,000 lenses.

Highways Agency

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what cost changes have been approved for schemes in the Highways Agency's major roads programme since the publication of the Nichols report in March 2007.  [Official Report, 28 January 2008, Vol. 471, c. 1MC.]

Tom Harris: Following the Nichols report the arrangements for estimating and approving the cost of schemes within the roads programme are being improved. Schemes are not finally approved for construction until we have a price agreed with the contractor. Since publication of the Nichols report we have approved start of works for five schemes, at the expected costs shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Expected cost (£ million) 
			 M27 Junction 3-4 17.4 
			 M27 Junction 11-12 36 
			 M1 Junction 25-28 345 
			 A1 Bramham to Wetherby 65 
			 M25 Junction 1b-3 (1)62 
			 (1 )In addition, £12 million of work has been transferred to the A2/A282 scheme. 
		
	
	The Highways Agency is currently undertaking an exercise to re-estimate the costs for schemes not yet in construction, following the recommendations on cost estimating in the Nichols report. Where appropriate they are examining the scope for using Active Traffic Management (ATM), in line with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's announcement on 25 October of a feasibility study into the scope for advanced traffic management. The results of the re-estimation process and the ATM feasibility work will be published in the spring.
	In the meantime, where schemes need to progress through stages of development, the best information available at the time has been used. Since publication of the Nichols report, Ministers have agreed cost estimates for the purpose of publishing Environmental Statements or draft orders for the following schemes:
	
		
			   Cost estimate agreed (£ million) 
			 M25 DBFO — 
			 Section 1 696 
			 Section 4 583 
			 M1 J10-13 601 
			 A421 Bedford to M1 J13 188 
		
	
	In addition we have approved the preferred route for the A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement. The estimate for this scheme is being reviewed, as noted above, and more robust estimates will be published in spring 2008.

Railway Stations: Hampshire

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has for the premises of former travel centres at Hampshire rail stations; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: It is for franchise operators to manage the facilities at their stations within the contractual and regulatory framework.
	South West Trains has put forward a number of proposals to change the use of Travel Centres at stations. These include details of the consultation responses and alternative arrangements proposed for passengers. These proposals are currently under consideration.

Railway Stations: Security

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Prime Minister's Statement of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 667-86, on national security, at which railway stations she is planning to introduce baggage and passenger searches; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 28 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 446-7W.

Railway Stations: Security

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which of the proposals in the report by Sir Alan West on security at  (a) rail stations and  (b) airports will be met from existing departmental budgets.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Under the long standing 'user pays' principle, it is the transport industry that delivers and funds security requirements. The Department for Transport has responsibility for the policy and regulation of these protective counter-terrorism security measures.
	The Department for Transport supports industry in meeting these requirements through collaborative working to achieve compliance and through the funding of research and the providing of advice. The aim is to ensure our security regimes remain proportionate and effective.

Railways: Fares

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect of the recent increase in costs of unregulated train tickets; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: In the absence of specific grounds for doing so, the Department has made no formal assessment of the recent increases in unregulated fares. However, we keep unregulated fares under review. The Department continues to listen to the representations of passenger focus and has invited them to take a greater role in commenting on the specification of future franchises.

Railways: Tickets

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her policy is on the charging of administrative fees by rail travel ticket agents when issuing refunds to customers.

Tom Harris: The policy on refunds is set out in the National Rail Conditions of Carriage. The National Rail Conditions of Carriage entitles passengers to a refund on tickets which have not been used, payable in specified circumstances. It also permits administration charges of up to £10.00 to be raised for processing the refund.

Roads: Accidents

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the potential effects on the number of road accidents of introducing British Summer Time in winter and double British Summer Time in summer.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A Government commissioned report by the Transport Research Laboratory published in October 1998, investigated the effects of the UK adopting single/double summertime (i.e. GMT plus one hour in the winter, from October to March, and GMT plus two hours in the summer, from March to October) thereby making the evenings lighter throughout the year. It concluded that, there could be a net saving of over 400 people killed or seriously injured per year in Great Britain, including over 100 deaths.
	The 1998 research did not identify casualty savings by age.

Sustainable Operations

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department is on course to meet the commitment in the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets  (a) to source at least 10 per cent. of its electricity from renewables by 31 March 2008 and  (b) to increase recycling figures to 40 per cent. of waste by 2010.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information is as follows.
	 (a) The Department has already achieved the "renewables" target with 62.5 per cent. of electricity being obtained from renewable sources and 10.1 per cent. derived from Combined Heat and Power.
	 (b) The Department has already achieved the waste recycling target with 57.1 per cent. of waste being recycled.

Transport for London: Underground Railways

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with Transport for London (TfL) relating to TfL's bid to take over the London Underground maintenance contracts originally awarded to Metronet.

Rosie Winterton: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with TfL on a range of issues including Metronet.

West Coast Railway Line: Watford

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the reasons were for setting a timetable for the West Coast Mainline with fewer stops made in Watford.

Tom Harris: One of the key objectives of the modernisation of the West Coast Main Line is to provide capacity for growth in passenger and freight over the next 30 years with substantially faster and more competitive journey times. Therefore, from the December 2008 timetable change, much greater use will be made of the fast lines with up to 11 trains every hour. This means that only two of these can call at Watford Junction.
	The more fast line trains that call at Watford Junction, the lower the frequency that can operate to and from Euston. This would then reduce the benefits to passengers overall of the scheme, because the West Coast Main Line service as a whole would not be able to accommodate the projected demand. As a result of the new timetable, two of the 11 hourly services will call at Watford Junction. Watford Junction passengers are also able to interchange with a range of services at Milton Keynes.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Consultants: Government Departments

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what contracts his Department has with external consultants; what the total value, including all VAT and disbursements, of these contracts are for the current financial year; how long each contract lasts; and what the forecast total value is of each contract.

Shaun Woodward: The following table shows the current list of contracts with external consultants that the NIO has and their forecast value for 2007-08 together with the estimated time for completion of the contract and the remaining value after the current year. VAT is only included where this is not reclaimable by the Department under the Contracted-out Services regime for non-business activities.
	
		
			  Brief description  Number of contracts  2007-08 (£000)  Length  2008-09 (£000) 
			 Accountancy 1 (1)15 Runs to June 08 (1)5 
			 Recruitment 1 (1)35 Ends in 2007-08 (1)0 
			 IT Management 1 (1)1 Ends in 2007-08 (1)0 
			 IT Management 4 (1)70 Ends in 2007-08 (1)0 
			 IT Management 1 (1)45 Ends in 2007-08 (1)0 
			 IT Management 2 (1)158 Runs to June 08 (1)36 
			 IT Management 5 687 Ends in 2007-08 0 
			 Legislative Drafting 1 80 Runs to May 2008 10 
			 Legislative Drafting 1 16 Ongoing 12 
			 Legal Advice 1 35 Ends in 2007-08 0 
			 Research Project 1 11 Ends in 2007-08 0 
			 Personnel Management 1 5 Ongoing 0 
			 Financial Management 1 5 Ends in 2007-08 0 
			 Programme Management 2 55 Ends in 2007-08 0 
			 Programme Management 1 130 Ongoing 0 
			 Contracts Advice 1 1 Ends in 2007-08 0 
			 Programme Management 2 139 Runs to June 2008 33 
			 Public Awareness Campaigns 3 227 Ends in 2007-08 0 
			 Less Lethal Weapons Advice 1 6 Being reviewed 3 
			 Marketing 1 47 Ends in 2007-08 0 
			 Strategic Management 1 8 Ends in 2007-08 0 
			 Strategic Management 1 8 Ends in 2007-08 0 
			 Security Surveys 1 2 Ends in 2007-08 0 
			 Corporate Governance 1 15 Ends in 2007-08 0 
			 Accommodation 1 9 Ends in 2007-08 0 
			 Engineering/ Architectural 1 116 Ends in 2007-08 97 
			 Total 38 1,926  196 
			 (1) Forecast

Departmental Corporate Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: Chapter 7 of the Ministerial Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.

Departmental Data Protection

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many confirmed data security breaches there have been in his Department in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Publicity

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) spent £258,000 on advertising between December 2006 to November 2007.

Drugs: Belfast

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were  (a) charged with and  (b) convicted of possession and supply of illegal drugs in North Belfast in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: The following table shows the number of persons charged with possession and supply offences in North Belfast from 2002-03 until 2006-07. PSNI has advised that figures for persons charged in the years prior to 2002-03 are not readily accessible.
	
		
			  Number of persons charged with possession and supply of illegal drugs in North Belfast for the years 2002 - 07 
			   Persons charged—possession offences  Persons charged—supply offences  Total number of persons charged( 1) 
			 2002-03 64 15 70 
			 2003-04 69 13 75 
			 2004-05 79 19 93 
			 2005-06 98 14 103 
			 2006-07 122 42 147 
			 (1 )Persons can be charged for both a possession and a supply offence. 
		
	
	Figures detailing the number of persons charged and the number convicted are collected separately. It is not possible to reconcile charge based data from PSNI with prosecution and conviction data, since data on charges from PSNI relate to the number of offences, whereas data on prosecutions and convictions relate to the number of offenders brought before the courts.
	The following table shows the number of persons convicted of possession and supply offences in North Belfast from 2000-05. Prior to this, prosecution and conviction data were based on the police division to which an offence was reported, and are therefore not directly comparable.
	
		
			  Number of persons convicted of possession and supply of illegal drugs in North Belfast for the years 2000 - 05 
			   Persons convicted of possession of illegal drugs  Persons convicted of supply( 1)  of illegal drugs  Persons convicted of possession with intent to supply illegal drugs 
			 2000 37 2 29 
			 2001 26 0 10 
			 2002 27 3 13 
			 2003 44 2 11 
			 2004 37 0 6 
			 2005 46 0 5 
			 (1) Includes being concerned in supply/offering to supply a controlled drug.

Motor Vehicles: Theft

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vehicles were stolen in North Belfast in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: Due to the introduction in 1998-99 of revised rules for recording crime, figures for the years prior to 1998 are not available.
	The number of recorded thefts or unauthorised taking of motor vehicles in North Belfast District Command Unit is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Recorded 
			 1998-99 897 
			 1999-2000 916 
			 2000-01(1) 1,023 
			 2001-02 1,248 
			 2002-03(2) 882 
			 2003-04 568 
			 2004-05 498 
			 2005-06 344 
			 2006-07 347 
			 (1) Figures are available by District Command Unit back to 2000-01. The figures for 1998-99 and 1999-2000 have been aggregated by station area to produce totals for North Belfast DCU, however they are not completely comparable with later years due to boundary changes. (2) From 1 April 2002 most attempted thefts/unauthorised taking of motor vehicles are recorded as vehicle interference due to a change in Home Office counting rules.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Annual Reports

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the  (a) effectiveness,  (b) efficiency and  (c) value for money of the distribution of the Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable's Annual Report to households in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: In August 2006 PSNI commissioned a survey to evaluate the level of awareness and readership of the Chief Constable's Annual Report. Of those who had read the report, 78 per cent. stated that it provided them with a clearer understanding of the work of the police service.
	The total cost of the exercise is approximately £120,000 per year; this represents around 16 pence per household.
	The Chief Constable's Annual Report is delivered to every home in Northern Ireland and is also available on the Internet. It is an important aspect of PSNI's outreach and engagement with the community. The Northern Ireland Policing Board is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of the police, however I am content that distributing the report in this way is a valuable exercise and represents value for money.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Garda Siochana

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the Garda Siochana were  (a) seconded and  (b) transferred to the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each year since 2005, broken down by (i) rank and (ii) sex.

Paul Goggins: I am advised that to date no An Garda Siochana officers have been seconded or transferred to PSNI.
	However, since October 2005, 12 An Garda Siochana officers have been on personnel exchanges, for periods of between two and four months, under the auspices of the joint protocols signed by the Garda Commissioner and Chief Constable on 21 February 2005.
	Close co-operation between the PSNI and An Garda Siochana continues across a range of areas including human resources, traffic, IT, internal communications, roads, community safety, training, fraud, drugs and immigration.

Terrorism

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many paramilitary-style assaults took place in Northern Ireland in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by group deemed responsible.

Paul Goggins: The following table details the information requested.
	
		
			  Casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaults 
			   Attribution( 1) 
			   Loyalist  Republican 
			  2006   
			 November 2 0 
			 December 1 0 
			
			  2007   
			 January 3 1 
			 February 6 0 
			 March 6 0 
			 April 2 0 
			 May 0 1 
			 June 0 1 
			 July 2 0 
			 August 3 1 
			 September 0 0 
			 October 9 2 
			 (1) Attribution is as perceived by PSNI based on the information available and does not necessarily indicate the involvement of a paramilitary organisation.  Note: 2007-08 statistics are provisional and may be subject to minor amendment.  Source: Central Statistics Unit, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Lisnasharragh. 
		
	
	The Government continue to work through and with the political parties to create the conditions that will make such assaults a thing of the past. The PSNI, which has the support of all parties in Northern Ireland, will continue to investigate all such incidents and where sufficient evidence exists will bring those responsible to justice.

Vetting

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what additional resources have been deployed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland to expedite the progress of applications submitted to the Child Vulnerable Adult Access Vetting Unit.

Paul Goggins: The PSNI is committed to providing a high quality vetting service ensuring the protection of those most vulnerable in society.
	The PSNI has deployed additional resources to address the current heavy workload. Since summer 2007 seven extra staff have been employed by the unit and staff have worked overtime to manage the increasing workload. Working practices are under review to ensure that available resources are used to best effect.
	A new criminal history disclosure body, Access N.I., will replace the Criminal Records Office service from early 2008. This new service will bring Northern Ireland under the same legislation as the rest of the United Kingdom and will create a platform for the development of new national systems.

SCOTLAND

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department and its agencies have spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in each of the last five years.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office's expenditure on Christmas cards is detailed in the table as follows.
	
		
			   Christmas cards (£) 
			 2003 679 
			 2004 687 
			 2005 567.74 
			 2006 702.65 
			 2007 0 
		
	
	The Scotland Office has not incurred any expenditure in relation to Christmas parties in the last five years. We do not have separate records for expenditure in relation to Christmas decorations.

Departmental Computers

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of his Department's  (a) computers and  (b) laptops have been stolen in 2007; and what the value of those items was.

David Cairns: None.

Departmental Data Protection

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  what reviews have been undertaken of his Department's rules on data protection in the last two years; if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the last review of his Department's compliance with data protection laws; and if his Department will undertake a review of its compliance with data protection laws;
	(2)  on how many occasions in his Department confidential data have been downloaded on to compact discs (i) without and (ii) with encryption in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; how many of those discs have been posted without using recorded or registered delivery; what procedures his Department has in place for the (A) transport, (B) exchange and (C) delivery of confidential or sensitive data; what records are kept of information held by his Department being sent outside the Department; what changes have been made to his Department's rules and procedures on data protection in the last two years; on how many occasions his Department's procedures and rules on data protection have been breached in the last five years; what those breaches were; what procedures his Department has in place on downloading confidential data on to computer discs before their transfer; what technical protections there are in his Department's computer systems to prevent access to information held on those systems which is not in accordance with departmental procedures; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each of his Department's rules and procedures on the protection of confidential data on individuals, businesses and other organisations;
	(3)  how many employees of each grade in his Department  (a) have access to confidential or sensitive data and  (b) are authorised to download such data to disk; how many of his Department's employees have undergone data protection training in the last 12 months; what the average length of time is that each employee of his Department has spent on data protection training; how many investigations of employees of his Department for improperly accessing confidential information have taken place in the last 12 months; how many such investigations resulted in cases of disciplinary action; and what the circumstances of each of those cases was.

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department's information technology and data management systems are BS7799 compliant.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he proposes to review how his Department transports data; and whether his Department uses TNT to transport data.

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  how many confirmed data security breaches there have been in the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence;
	(2)  how many confirmed data security breaches there have been in his Department in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence.

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  on how many occasions the Information Commissioner was contacted by his Department to report breaches of data protection security in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many breaches of data protection security there were in his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will provide details of each breach.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Members to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Publicity

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 7 June 2007,  Official Report, column 691W.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Land Use

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated annual administration costs associated with the Rural Payments Agency's practice of resizing fields are.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 21 November 2007
	Annual administration costs specifically relating to resizing fields (changes to area) cannot be separated from other costs related to the Rural Land Register (RLR). Costs for RLR-related work including all digitising work and RLR support staff were £4.26 million in 2006-07. Estimated costs for 2007-08 and 2008-09 are £3.34 million and £2.69 million respectively. These figures do not include possible further developments of the land register to meet European and business requirements.

Angling: Scottish Executive

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to discuss changes to the main concordat with the Scottish Executive on fishing; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have no such plans, nor have I received any representations from the Scottish Executive to change the fisheries specific concordat.

Animals: Diseases

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  which pathogens handled under Specified Animal Pathogens Order licence in the UK for viruses and diseases are not normally present in British livestock; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the benefits to the UK are of handling pathogens under SAPO licence for viruses and diseases that are not normally present in British livestock; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The UK is vulnerable to the introduction of exotic animal disease as global trade in animals and animal products increases. Despite sophisticated systems of import control, we cannot hope to reduce the risk of introduction of disease to zero. Climate change and the threat of bio-terrorism also present new means by which animal disease could be introduced to this country. We must therefore ensure we can prepare for, and react quickly to, all disease outbreaks.
	The Government's ability to respond to outbreaks of exotic animal disease depends on having ready access to specialist facilities where diseases can be diagnosed quickly and with confidence, and where research is carried out on animal pathogens and the mechanisms to deal with disease outbreaks. This was highlighted by the pressure put on existing facilities during the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak in the UK. At least some of this work must be done in a facility with high bio-containment capability.
	DEFRA has issued licences to a number of laboratories to hold category 3 and 4 viruses. Details of specific viruses which laboratories have licences for cannot be divulged as they are commercially confidential.

Animals: Vaccination

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Agriculture and Fisheries Council held in Luxembourg on 22 to 23 October 2007 and the discussions on the animal health strategy, what plans he has to review the UK Government's vaccine policy; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government keep their vaccination policy for all notifiable diseases under constant review, taking full account of the latest scientific evidence, lessons learnt from outbreaks and the desirability of harmonising approaches to vaccination with other member states.
	For example, in recent years we have substantially developed vaccination policy for foot and mouth disease and avian influenza, in line with developments in EU law, through procuring a vaccine bank and developing contingency plans for its potential use. We are currently doing the same on vaccination policy for bluetongue.

Avian Influenza: Disease Control

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from cage bird societies and other organisations forced to cancel events because show licences were revoked as a result of the outbreak of avian flu; what compensation is available to organisers of cage bird show events in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA officials and I have received a small number of representations from cage bird societies and other organisations who have been forced to cancel events as a result of the ban on bird gatherings following the recent avian influenza outbreak. We put the ban in place due to the high risk nature of bird gatherings when there is great uncertainty over the presence of undetected infection in other parts of the country immediately after an outbreak. We kept this ban under constant review and, following a veterinary risk assessment once we knew more about the spread of disease, we lifted the ban after 11 days.
	It is a long established principle that the Government do not meet the costs of consequential losses due to disease control measures. It is inevitable that such measures for avian influenza will disrupt bird gatherings due to the need to prevent wide-scale disease spread for both animal and human health reasons. No Government could commit itself to insure bird keepers against the cost of all the losses resulting, directly or indirectly, from disease outbreaks or the action taken to deal with them.

Beaches: EU Law

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on improvements to sewerage infrastructure to improve bathing water quality in each of the last seven years.

Phil Woolas: Between 2000 and 2005, Ofwat collected data on costs for the improvements to continuous discharges (improvement to the processes at sewage treatment works themselves); under the bathing water directive. From 2005 to 2010, Ofwat is collecting the data on costs incurred to improve intermittent discharges, such as combined sewer overflows, as well as the continuous discharges that have been, and will be, improved under the bathing water directive.
	This information is displayed in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  Total by 2006-07 
			 Capex: Continuous discharges—bathing water directive 11.1 27.9 52.3 21.5 12.8 — — — 
			 Opex: Continuous discharges—bathing water directive 0.9 1.3 2.1 3.3 4.3 — — — 
			 Capex: Continuous and intermittent discharges—bathing water directive — — — — — 8.8 2.8 — 
			 Opex: Continuous and intermittent discharges—bathing water directive — — — — — 0.1 0.11 — 
			 Total 12.0 29.2 54.4 24.8 17.1 8.8 2.9 (1)149.04 
			 (1)The totals may not equal the sum of the figure shown due to rounding.  Notes: 1. All costs are displayed in 2006-07 price base inflated by retail price index. 2. Capex = capital expenditure; Opex = operating expenditure. 3. Recurring opex incurred as a result of improvements in 2000-05, will have been transferred to base service at the last periodic review. 4. All costs displayed are in £ millions and in 2006-07 prices. 5. The data shown are additional costs incurred over and above the maintenance of the assets.

Carbon Emissions: Heating

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has considered the contribution of heating networks towards the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target.

Phil Woolas: The draft Order for the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target was laid before Parliament on 5 December. The Government propose an overall target of 154 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) lifetime, which is equivalent to annual net savings of 4.2 MtC02 by 2010 and broadly double the level of activity of the current Energy Efficiency Commitment 2005-08. Subject to approval by the regulator, Ofgem, it will be open to energy suppliers to promote district heating systems and combined heat and power (CHP), including biomass CHP.

Criminal Justice Act 2003

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the commencement of section 281(5) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs on the sentence for persons convicted of cruelty crimes, specified in the Animal Welfare Act 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: We regularly review the implementation of the maximum sentences available under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 with the Ministry of Justice.

Crops: Subsidies

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what average level of annual subsidy from the public purse per hectare for growing  (a) wheat,  (b) barley,  (c) potatoes and  (d) miscanthus grass was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: The introduction of the single payment scheme in 2005 decoupled support from production. There are now no specific payments for growing cereals or potatoes.
	The average payment per hectare for the single payment scheme 2006 in England was £163. This is a simple average obtained by dividing the net amount payable by the total area on agricultural holdings in June 2006. There will have been wide variations between farms and within the same farm type. This payment was decoupled from production and was not dependent on any production taking place on farm.
	The England Rural Development Programme's (ERDP) Energy Crops Scheme offers grants to farmers in England for the establishment of miscanthus and short rotation coppice. The scheme is currently awaiting approval from the EU Commission but the rate for miscanthus is expected to be £800 per hectare.
	Growers of crops used for the production of energy, including rapeseed, wheat, barley, short rotation coppice and miscanthus, may also be eligible for aid under the Aid for Energy Crops (AEC) Scheme. After scaleback due to the area claimed being greater than the maximum guaranteed area, claimants will receive a maximum payment of €31.65 per hectare for the eligible land on which they made a claim for AEC in 2007. The predominant crop in 2007 was oilseed rape.

Dairy Farming: Finance

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of his Department's annual budget was allocated to dairy farming in each of the last three years.

Jonathan R Shaw: There are no DEFRA grants that are specifically allocated to dairy farming. However, dairy farmers and the dairy industry benefit from a range of DEFRA-funded activity.
	These include: the single payment scheme (SPS); the England Rural Development programme (ERDP) and its successor the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE); the England catchment sensitive farming delivery initiative (ECSFDI); the agricultural development scheme (ADS); environmentally sensitive farming (ESF); top-up to the school milk subsidy scheme (SMS); Organic Conversion Information Service (OCIS); and the dairy supply chain forum (DSCF).
	Figures for the budget allocation (NB: though actual resource spend for ERDP) to each of the schemes is highlighted in the following table:
	
		
			  Scheme  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 SPS(1 )(£ billion) n/a 1.55 1.57 
			 ERDP/RDPE (£ million) 250.3 273.5 335.1 
			 ECSFDI(2 )(£ million) n/a n/a 8.6 
			 ADS (£ million) 2.50 2.80 3.10 
			 ESF(2) (£000) n/a 833 833 
			 SMS (£000) 500 500 500 
			 OCIS (£000) 311 311 311 
			 DSCF (£000) 100 100 100 
			 (1) Figures for SPS are net of modulation. (2) Note that the ESF and ECSFDI were launched in 2005 and 2006 respectively so expenditure was not incurred in previous years. 
		
	
	We do not maintain records which would enable us to readily identify specific sectors benefiting from these activities.

Departmental Catering

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of  (a) beef,  (b) lamb,  (c) pork and  (d) dairy products used in his departmental headquarters were imported products in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: From information held centrally, the percentages of  (a) beef,  (b) lamb,  (c) pork and  (d) dairy products of imported origin used in the departmental headquarters were 0 per cent., 0 per cent. and 0 per cent. respectively and for dairy products 0 per cent. (eggs and milk) and 5 per cent. (cheese).
	I refer the hon. Member to the data published in the report deposited in the House of Commons Library on 8 November 2007 giving the proportion of UK produce supplied to Government Departments, the NHS and HM Prison Service. A copy of the report is also available on the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI) website at
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/govt-food-usage.pdf.

Departmental Computers

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of his Department's  (a) computers and  (b) laptops have been stolen in 2007; and what the value of those items was.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following figures show the number of reported thefts/losses of computers/laptops in DEFRA during 2007:
	 Item description
	 (a) Computers/desk tops—none
	 (b) Laptops—18
	Following the outsourcing of IT services to IBM in October 2004, computers/laptops are no longer classed as departmental assets as they form part of the overall contract for the provision of IT services. All IT equipment therefore belongs to IBM. However, in an effort to reduce the losses of laptops, advice and guidance on the security of portable computer equipment is regularly issued to users.

Departmental Corporate Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: Any hospitality that I may have accepted in the last 12 months has been declared in the Register of Members' Interests.

Departmental Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: No central data are held of the number of buildings occupied by my Department, which are or are not considered to be fully accessible to disabled people.
	Where there are access difficulties for disabled people, my Department makes appropriate reasonable adjustments to it's arrangements for the recruitment and employment of staff, and the services and functions it delivers to its users in accordance with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1005.

Departmental Land

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what land surplus to his Department's requirements it is  (a) selling,  (b) leasing and  (c) intending to (i) sell and (ii) lease; and what the (A) size and (B) name of each relevant site is.

Jonathan R Shaw: A statement of the Department's surplus land and properties currently available for sale and to let, included known future disposals, is set out in the table.
	
		
			  Property details 
			  Property no.  Property name  Town  Postcode  Tenure  NIA (Sq m)  Land (Ha) 
			 54 Thirsk (Sowerby) Buffer Depot Thirsk YO7 1QX Freehold — 1.1 
			 62 Almondbank 4 Perth PH1 3HY Freehold — 8.9 
			 63 Almondbank 5 Perth PH1 3HY Freehold — 5.6 
			 93 Fish Labs, Rememberance Ave. Burnham-on-Crouch CM0 8HA Leasehold — 0.55 
			 94 Laboratory Complex Pakefield Road Lowestoft NR33 0HT Leasehold — 1.21 
			 146 Guildford, Epsom Road Guildford GU1 2LD Freehold — 4.92 
			 272 Longbenton VIC-surplus land Newcastle NE12 9SE Freehold — 2.1 
			 302 Efford Plot (0.1 ha) Lymington SO41 0JD Freehold — 0.1 
			 302 Efford Paddock (0.25 ha) Lymington SO41 0JD Freehold — 0.25 
			 302 Efford Sewerage Treatment Works Lymington SO41 0JD Freehold — 0.01 
			 309 Boxworth Farm Boxworth CB3 8NN Freehold — 326 
			 317 Terrington (Land) Kings Lynn PE34 4PW Freehold — 1.6 
			 321 Ditton Laboratory West Malling ME19 6BJ Freehold — 1 
			 340 Dargues (Land) Otterburn NE19 1SB Freehold — 21.86

Departmental Public Bodies

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) percentage and  (b) amount his Department has required each of the public bodies for which he is responsible to reduce its budget for 2007-08 from the level planned at the beginning of the financial year; what options he is considering for further savings in public expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: My Department has not required any of the public bodies for which the Department is responsible to reduce budgets for 2007-08 since these were set at the beginning of the financial year.
	Budgets for 2008-09 are currently being considered by Ministers with the aim of being finalised in the new year.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

Jonathan R Shaw: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation are contained in the Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is made in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Domestic Wastes: Packaging

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the  (a) proportion and  (b) tonnage of waste from household collection which is made up of packaging waste;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the tonnage of packaging waste from household collection which is  (a) recovered and  (b) recycled annually; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 3 December 2007
	4.7 million tonnes of packaging ended up as household waste in the UK in 2006. This accounts for an estimated 18 to 21 per cent. of household waste.
	No estimate has been made by my Department on the tonnage of packaging waste which is recovered or recycled specifically from household sources.
	However, the total amount of packaging waste recovered and recycled in 2006 was around 6.3 million tonnes.

Energy: Conservation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what has been the total level of expenditure on his Department's market transformation programme since its inception.

Joan Ruddock: Since DEFRA was formed in 2001, it has provided just over £13.5 million to its Market Transformation Programme over the seven years between 2001 and 2007. Annual expenditure levels are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2001-02 520,000 
			 2002-03 812,000 
			 2003-04 1,200,000 
			 2004-05 2,139,000 
			 2005-06 4,270,000 
			 2006-07 4,600,000

Environment Protection

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 120W, on environment protection, if he will break down the Environment Agency's maintenance expenditure on activities other than dredging, aquatic weed removal, grass cutting, tree removal and pollarding.

Phil Woolas: In 2006-07 the proportion of the Environment Agency's flood risk management maintenance expenditure on activities other than dredging, aquatic weed removal, grass cutting, tree removal and pollarding was as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Obstruction removal 8.6 
			 Structure maintenance 18.7 
			 Channel/defence maintenance 10.2 
			 Operational and asset inspections 11.6 
			 Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, Automation and Control 7.2 
			 Buildings maintenance 1.1 
			 Asset monitoring, operation and repair 7.4 
			 Other 4.6

Environment Protection: Lighting

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government has taken to promote the use of energy saving light bulbs.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 6 December 2007
	 The number of efficient light bulbs in UK homes rose from 26 million in 2000, to 110 million in 2006. However, we recognise that more can be done to encourage their use.
	We are working with retailers, manufacturers, energy suppliers and the Energy Saving Trust, to voluntarily phase out inefficient light bulbs by 2011 in the UK, ahead of our European partners.
	This is supported by the "EU Energy" and "Energy Saving Recommended" labels, which provide consumers with appropriate information on the energy efficiency of products.
	Replacing bulbs with energy efficient alternatives will save up to 5 million tonnes of CO2 from electricity generation per year by 2012 and will also help reduce householders' energy bills.

Fish: Animal Welfare

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Marine Bill will include provisions to improve the welfare of fish caught for human consumption.

Jonathan R Shaw: There are no plans for the Marine Bill to include provisions on the welfare of fish caught for human consumption.

Fisheries: Navy

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contribution he receives from the devolved administrations on the costs of the contract for the Royal Navy Fishery Protection Service; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Royal Navy provides fisheries protection services to the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) in the waters around England and Wales. The cost of the provision of this service is borne by the MFA. The Welsh Assembly Government contribute 6 per cent. of the overall cost by a PES transfer to the MFA. There are no other contributions from the devolved administrations for this service.
	Neither the Welsh Assembly nor the Northern Ireland Assembly received separate funding for this service upon devolution, and therefore make no contribution to the resources used on the MFA's behalf by the Royal Navy.
	The Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA), an Agency of the Scottish Executive, provides fishery protection services to the Scottish Executive in the waters around Scotland. The SFPA operates its own patrol vessels. As the SFPA does not use the Royal Navy Fishery Protection Squadron, it makes no contributions to the cost of the Squadron.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the timing of its proposals on managing Scottish quota; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have yet to receive a formal proposal from the Scottish Executive regarding managing the UK quota in Scotland, and have had no recent discussions with my counterparts in the devolved administrations on the timing of such a proposal.

Fisheries: Regional Advisory Councils

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding he plans to give to  (a) the North Sea Regional Advisory Council,  (b) the North Western Waters Regional Advisory Council,  (c) the Pelagic Regional Advisory Council and  (d) the Long Distance Regional Advisory Council in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: On 11 July 2007, Council Regulation 2004/585 was introduced to simplify the funding arrangements for all regional advisory councils in order to provide them with sufficient and permanent funding to allow them to continue their advisory role within the Common Fisheries Policy. Under these new funding arrangements, the Commission's allocated grant "shall not exceed 90 per cent. of the operating budget" of each regional advisory council, on an annual basis.
	In addition, the UK and other member states contribute an annual membership, which varies from year to year. For the financial year of 2007-08 the UK membership is:
	 (a) 2,450 Euros to the North Sea RAC;
	 (b) 3,700 Euros to the North-Western Waters RAC;
	 (c) 2,222 Euros to the Pelagic RAC.
	The Long Distance RAC has been established recently and the UK membership contribution has yet to be agreed.
	In 2008, the Commission intends to review the function of regional advisory councils and that may include funding provisions.

Fisheries: Regulation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will commission research on attitudes to regulation and compliance in the English seafood industry.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government currently have no plans to commission research on attitudes to regulation and compliance in the English seafood industry.

Fisheries: Science

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much he intends to spend on  (a) fisheries science and  (b) the science fisheries partnership in the next comprehensive spending review period; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: No final decisions about the budget for the first of the comprehensive spending review years has been taken so we do not have the level of detail requested.
	However in 2007-08 we are spending approximately £13.5 million on fisheries science. This includes £1 million on the Fisheries Science Partnership and £3 million on long-term research and development projects.

Fisheries: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress is being made on finalising the draft operational programme on the Fisheries Fund for submission to the European Commission; and when he expects it to be submitted.

Jonathan R Shaw: I intend to submit the UK operational programme to the European Commission following a public consultation on the draft. This will be a 12-week consultation which I expect to commence early in 2008.
	Agreement has now been reached between all UK Fisheries Ministers regarding the division of the UK European Fisheries Fund budget. DEFRA officials are working with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to complete the UK operational programme, in order to enable the consultation to take place.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on the Government's commitment in the Statement of Principles with Insurance Industries to  (a) reduce the annual probability of flooding each year for a substantial number of properties in the UK,  (b) maintain investment in flood management each year,  (c) implement reforms to the land-use planning system to ensure that new developments do not lead to an increase in the national or local flood risk,  (d) communicate flood risk effectively and  (e) develop an integrated approach to urban drainage that alleviates the risks of sewer flooding and flash flooding.

Phil Woolas: The Association of British Insurers' Statement of Principles sets out members' commitments on availability of flood insurance in association with Government commitments on effective management of flood risk.
	 (a) A full programme of Government-funded works across the country is currently forecast to considerably exceed the Spending Review target to improve protection from river flooding and coastal erosion for more than 100,000 households between 2005 and 2008. Our investment is making real improvements possible across the country but, regardless of future levels of funding, it would be unrealistic to expect the Government to address all flood and coastal erosion risk problems.
	 (b) Spending on flood and coastal erosion risk management across central and local government has increased from £307 million in 1996-97 to some £600 million this year and will increase further to a minimum of £650 million in 2008-09, £700 million in 2009-10, reaching £800 million in 2010-11. This represents a significant real terms increase.
	 (c) I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my colleague the Minister for Housing on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 673W, as this is a matter for the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	 (d) Flood risk mapping is an important part of the Government's strategy on public awareness. DEFRA funds the Environment Agency to map flood risk as part of our strategy to ensure that the risk from flooding is better understood by all concerned. The Environment Agency continues to improve the flood mapping available to the public, local planning authorities, the emergency services and insurers.
	 (e) The Government's developing strategy to improve flood risk management, "Making space for water", seeks to identify improvements in urban flood risk management where there is a complex interaction of drainage systems and a number of different organisations involved. As part of this, DEFRA is funding 15 pilots in different locations around the country to test new approaches to urban drainage management and clarify responsibilities. We are also developing proposals for how the current range of responsibilities for urban flood risk should be managed and the role of the Environment Agency in this.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on the collation of groundwater flooding records, and monitoring and risk assessment, as referred to in Making Space for Water.

Phil Woolas: Recommendations from the Making Space for Water project (MSfW) 'Groundwater flooding records collation, monitoring and risk assessment' are being considered at MSfW programme level, with other related work.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures have been introduced to encourage people to take up resilience measures in their homes.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency publishes helpful information on its website on resilience and resistance measures.
	In conjunction with the Association of British Insurers, we are working to develop ways in which the public can be encouraged to incorporate appropriate flood resilience or resistance measures in their homes and businesses. We are also undertaking a £500,000 pilot scheme looking at the feasibility of providing financial assistance for people to install such measures. In May we published a technical report which described in broad terms the suitability and cost effectiveness of a variety of measures such as temporary flood gates, water resistant floors and wall coverings.

Flood Control: Video Games

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department has provided for the development of Discovery Software's Flood Ranger programme.

Phil Woolas: No funding has been provided by my Department. The cost of developing this software, c£25,000, was met by the former Department for Trade and Industry through its Office of Science and Technology's Foresight Programme.

Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures the Department uses to assess the effectiveness of flood proofing measures used on  (a) private homes and  (b) business properties.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency is the principal operating authority for flood risk management in England and supports the Kitemark scheme of certified flood products as they have been independently tested and proved fit for purpose. Details of the scheme and a list of certified products are available on its website. The Environment Agency does not endorse any individual product or manufacturer.

Floods: Infrastructure

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of critical infrastructure is situated in flood risk areas; and what proposals he has to ensure the future safety of this infrastructure.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency has identified nearly 5,000 sites in areas in England and Wales assessed by the agency as having an annual probability of flooding of 1 in 75 or greater.
	The 14 categories of assets include power stations, sewage and water treatment works and schools. On the data currently available, the Environment Agency identifies 12.2 per cent. of these as being situated within the extreme flood outline.

Fly-tipping: Greater London

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many incidents of fly tipping were recorded in each London borough in each year since 1998; and what the estimated cost was of dealing with these incidents in each borough in each year.

Joan Ruddock: I have arranged for a table to be placed in the Library of the House showing the number of fly-tipping incidents and prosecutions recorded in each local authority by local authorities on Flycapture for 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07. Data are only available from 2004 onwards.
	Following the release of the 2006-07 Flycapture statistics on 9 October 2007, this information has been sent to all MPs and has been placed in the Printed Paper Office.
	It is also available to download electronically on DEFRA's Flycapture website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localenv/flytipping/flycapture-data.htm

Food from Britain: Finance

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the budget allocated for Food for Britain has been in each year since its creation.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following table shows the grants receivable by Food from Britain (FFB) from MAFF/DEFRA in each year since FFB was created in 1983. Information on FFB's total income and expenditure in these years can be found in its annual report and accounts, copies of which have been laid before Parliament.
	
		
			  Financial year  Core grant in aid  Grant in aid for capital expenditure  Other MAFF/DEFRA grant 
			 1983-84 3,876,002 145,477 n/a 
			 1984-85 5,433,422 89,452 n/a 
			 1985-86 5,410,696 50,036 n/a 
			 1986-87 4,786,825 53,214 n/a 
			 1987-88 3,664,965 139,412 n/a 
			 1988-89 4,056,849 129,555 n/a 
			 1989-90 4,702,042 81,759 n/a 
			 1990-91 4,025,497 88,719 n/a 
			 1991-92 4,691,329 30,403 n/a 
			 1992-93 4,648,519 88,092 n/a 
			 1993-94 4,915,850 27,875 n/a 
			 1994-95 4,953,300 143,699 n/a 
			 1995-96 5,431,410 81,020 n/a 
			 1996-97 5,274,478 28,616 n/a 
			 1997-98 4,772,550 58,380 (1)300,000 
			 1998-99 4,927,000 67,917 (1)313,000 plus (2)355,000 
			 1999-2000 4,968,000 73,084 (1)405,000 plus (2)18,000 
			 2000-01 5,392,000 30,663 (1)150,000 plus (2)10,000 
			 2001-02 5,368,000 55,999 (3)2,500,000 
			 2002-03 5,368,000 34,602 (3)500,000 
			 2003-04 5,368,000 45,955 (4)1,000,000 
			 2004-05 5,368,000 59,472 (4)1,000,000 
			 2005-06 5,368,000 51,642 (4)1,000,000 
			 2006-07 4,965,400 48,695 (4)1,000,000 
			 2007-08 4,965,400 60,000 (4)1,000,000 
			 (1) Sector Challenge funding (2) Exceptional additional MAFF funding (3) Foot and mouth recovery funding (4) Additional funding to support implementation of DEFRA's English Regional Food Strategy, initially agreed for the period 2003-04 to 2005-06 and subsequently extended for the years 2006-07 and 2007-08.  Note: Figures exclude grants paid to Food from Britain by the Countryside Agency in the years 2001-02 to 2002-03 to fund specific activities carried out by Regional Food Groups.  Source: 1983-84 to 2006-07—Food from Britain Annual Report and Accounts

Foot and Mouth Disease: Disease Control

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the likely effects on the UK economy are of producing foot and mouth disease vaccine in Britain; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will re-examine the merits of producing foot and mouth disease vaccine in the UK.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA has not made an assessment of the financial merits to the economy of producing foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccine in the UK. However, having a readily available stock of FMD vaccine is of clear benefit in terms of ensuring timely access to vaccine in the event of an outbreak.

Foot and Mouth Disease: Farmers

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support is being provided to farmers within the foot and mouth disease restriction areas.

Jonathan R Shaw: On 8 October, DEFRA announced a package of assistance worth £12.5 million aimed at supporting those livestock farmers in England most severely affected by the outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD), including those in the restriction areas. Implementation of all elements of the package is well under way and some are almost completed.
	£8.5 million was allocated to provide support for our hill farmers. Approximately £8.3 million has now been paid out. The rest of the payments are expected to be made by the end of December.
	£1 million was allocated to raise the level of subsidy from 10 per cent. to 100 per cent. for the National Fallen Stock Scheme for farmers in the FMD Restricted Zone while it was in place. This scheme closed when the Restricted Zone was lifted on 19 November.
	£2 million was to promote the sales of lamb, beef and pork domestically and in our export markets. The first payment of £250,000 has been made. Lamb promotion activity has begun and additional beef promotion will start later this month. The demand for lamb from European partners is proving strong. Preparatory work has started for promoting third country exports of pork once we have regained World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) freedom, and additional domestic pork promotion will start in January.
	A donation of £1 million was made to the Arthur Rank Centre for disbursement to Farming Help charities, which provide advice and practical and emotional support to farming families. £500,000 has already been transferred.
	All domestic control restrictions have now been lifted, and the only restrictions remaining in place are those placed on movements to ensure eligibility for export to the EU.

Game

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research he has  (a) initiated and  (b) evaluated on (i) the proportion of shot game which is released to the black market and (ii) the proportion of shot game in respect of which income tax is declared.

Joan Ruddock: My Department has not conducted research on these matters.

Game: Birds

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the gamebird shooting industry on  (a) the killing of indigenous mammals and birds,  (b) damage to moorland peat deposits and  (c) burning of heather; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The gamebird shooting industry involves the shooting of the native grey partridge and red grouse in addition to non-native gamebirds such as red-legged partridge and pheasant. These populations are managed for shooting and there is no evidence to suggest that shooting has resulted in population declines. In order to enhance gamebird populations, a range of native birds and mammals are killed legally as part of pest control campaigns. These species are generalist predators, including foxes, stoats, weasels, carrion crows and magpies. There is no evidence to suggest that this has an adverse affect on populations of these species, although little information is available on which to assess the impacts of killing stoats and weasels. The illegal persecution of native birds of prey, especially for the threatened hen harrier in England, has been associated with game rearing interests and remains a serious problem.
	Natural England is working to establish management agreements with landowners and managers, including those associated with the game industry (especially on sites of special scientific interest), to restore peatlands by the blocking of drains and agreement of burning plans. In addition, DEFRA has recently set up a policy project to coordinate the Government's work on peat. This aims to protect and enhance peat under all forms of management. As a part of this work, we plan to commission research to assess the environmental impacts of peatland management.
	We are aware of the potential for damage of unregulated or poorly practised burning. This is why we introduced the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2007. The regulations protect people, property and the natural environment, and introduce new rules to safeguard carbon-rich soils. In addition, we have published the Heather and Grass Burning Code 2007. The regulations and the code have the support of Natural England and key stakeholders, including the National Farmers' Union and the Moorland Association.

Heathrow Airport

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings he had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the expansion of Heathrow airport before the publication of responses to the consultation on the subject.

Phil Woolas: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Hilary Benn) met the Secretary of State for Transport in September when, among other things, the expansion of Heathrow airport was discussed. This issue has also been discussed during the general course of Cabinet business.

Housing: Insurance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received on insurance industries offering home insurance to new developments built against Environment Agency advice;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has held with the insurance industry on the affordability of insurance for properties at risk of flooding.

Phil Woolas: There is a continuing dialogue with the Environment Agency, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Association of British Insurers on this issue with the aim of ensuring widespread availability of insurance cover for flooding.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave her on 12 November 2007,  Official Report, column 14W.

Inland Waterways: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received on the likely effect of funding reductions for inland waterways on tourism; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have received correspondence from a wide range of stakeholders regarding the funding of British Waterways, and its public benefits.

Laboratories: Disease Control

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Agriculture and Fisheries Council held in Luxembourg on 22 and 23 October 2007 and the discussions on the animal health strategy 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure improvements in biosecurity in laboratories; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he discussed with his European counterparts biosecurity at the Pirbright site; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: We are keeping in close contact with the European Commission on these issues.
	Stringent new conditions have been applied to work undertaken on the Pirbright site, and a safety alert was issued to all similar laboratories immediately following the August outbreak. A follow-up round of inspections has been taking place jointly with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Additionally, we accepted all recommendations that apply to the Government contained in the HSE and Spratt reports. These measures will ensure the highest level of biosecurity both at Pirbright and at all other laboratories working with specified animal pathogens.
	Following the incident announced by DEFRA on 22 November, Merial's Specified Animal Pathogens Order licence was suspended. The incident was contained in the enclosed, re-lined drainage system, and there was no release of virus to the environment. An inspection team has produced a full report for the acting chief veterinary officer.

Livestock: Agricultural Shows

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance his Department provides to livestock show judges on the avoidance of contamination on clothing.

Jonathan R Shaw: Livestock shows must be licensed by DEFRA and each show must have a biosecurity officer to assist the licensee in ensuring the rules of the licence and the Animal Gatherings legislation are followed.
	DEFRA has issued specific guidance to show organisers and their biosecurity officers for implementing the biosecurity conditions of the show's licence and the legislation, which are their responsibility. The guidance is available from the DEFRA website.
	Judges at livestock shows, as well as owners of animals and stockmen, should understand all the biosecurity rules, including those for clean clothing and personal biosecurity when leaving the area to which animals have access.

Merial Animal Health: Pirbright

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) economic and  (b) other factors he took into account in granting licences to produce vaccines to Merial at Pirbright.

Jonathan R Shaw: Specified Animal Pathogen Order (SAPO) licenses are only granted if the laboratory can demonstrate that they have the necessary management processes, trained staff, documented operating procedures and facilities to ensure the safe containment, handling and disposal of the specified animal pathogens concerned. Laboratory inspections are carried out to assess this, and economic factors are not a consideration.

Merial Animal Health: Pirbright

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 22 November 2007: Specified Animal Pathogens Order (SAPO) Licence Conditions at Merial Animal Health, whether the valves on the steam lines used to sterilise the associated pipework were inspected by his Department's officials prior to restoring the SAPO licence to Merial Animal Health on 6 November 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The facility was inspected prior to restoring the Specified Animal Pathogens Order (SAPO) licence on 6 November. Following inspections and documentary evidence from Merial, we were satisfied that they complied with all of the required licence conditions and had in place all the necessary measures to ensure strict biosecurity throughout the site.
	As part of the SAPO licence, we require Merial to apply rigorous standard operating procedures. In relation to the valves, these mean that each time the centrifuge is used, two operators must certify that the valve is locked shut and its integrity is confirmed by pressure tests before and after each batch. In addition, the preventive maintenance system includes regular inspections and although the valves on the centrifuge have a three-year life expectancy, they are replaced annually. All these checks must be recorded.

Merial Animal Health: Pirbright

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 22 November 2007: Specified Animal Pathogens Order Licence Conditions at Merial Animal Health, what risk assessment he has carried out to the risks to British livestock of contamination from the live virus leak reported; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: An assessment carried out by the inspection team, on 20 November, concluded that live virus had not been released to the environment. This was the result of the extensive layers of biosecurity that we require under the Specified Animal Pathogens Order licence, which effectively contained the virus in the enclosed, re-lined drainage system before deactivation in the chemical treatment plant within the Pirbright site.

Merial Animal Health: Pirbright

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 22 November 2007: Specified Animal Pathogens Order (SAPO) Licence Conditions at Merial Animal Health, and the decision to suspend the SAPO licence, what assessment he has made of the effect this will have on the production of a bluetongue vaccine; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: On 20 November, Merial informed DEFRA of a biosecurity incident at Pirbright and, although the incident was contained, the use of live virus was immediately suspended as our paramount concern is the security of the site. An inspection team urgently conducted detailed checks and we are considering what further action needs to be taken.
	It is too early to say what implications this may have on the production of a bluetongue vaccine. However, this suspension does not prevent Merial from conducting development of a bluetongue vaccine as their Pirbright site is primarily a production, rather than research, facility; Merial conduct the majority of their research elsewhere. There are also two other manufacturers of bluetongue vaccine, Intervet and Fort Dodge. We are currently considering bids from all three companies that were submitted following our recent tendering exercise and we plan to make an announcement on the outcome shortly.

Organic Farming

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the Food and Agriculture Organisation's policy on organic farming.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Food and Agriculture Organisation's report on Paying Farmers for Environmental Services is a helpful contribution to the debate on how best to secure delivery of environmental public goods for which there is no return for farmers from the market. The contribution which can be made in this country by organic farmers is recognised through aid paid under the Organic Entry Level Scheme.

Organic Food: Low Incomes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government have taken to increase the availability of organic food to low income families.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 6 December 2007
	The Government offers considerable support to the organic sector through financial aid to organic farmers and the organic action plan, in order to make organic produce more accessible. The stakeholder group supporting the organic action plan is currently examining the issue of how income and geographical locations impact on the ability of consumers to purchase organic food and will make recommendations to DEFRA in the new year.
	We have to recognise that, by its very nature, organic food is more expensive to produce because of the greater emphasis on sustainable extensive management systems in preference to artificial inputs and intensive farming systems.

Pigs: Animal Breeding

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the size was of the total breeding herd of pigs in England in each of the last 10 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The total pig breeding herd in England for each of the last 10 years is shown in the table:
	
		
			   Number of pigs in breeding herd 
			 1998 629,915 
			 1999 573,034 
			 2000 502,697 
			 2001 488,980 
			 2002 457,871 
			 2003 418,053 
			 2004 424,485 
			 2005 386,207 
			 2006 386,109 
			 2007 374,861 
			  Notes: 1. Pig breeding herd is sows and gilts in pig and other sows either being suckled or dry sows being kept for further breeding. 2. These totals are estimates based on a sample survey and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.  Source:  June Survey of Agriculture

Poultry: Animal Welfare

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received on animal welfare problems associated with intensive broiler chicken production; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 5 December 2007
	I am pleased to say that the European Commission directive on the welfare of broiler chickens gained political agreement at Agriculture Council on 7 May 2007, after two years of negotiations. The UK worked hard with the Commission and other animal welfare-conscious member states to get the dossier agreed.
	The directive will deliver real welfare benefits for broilers, while balancing economic, social and environmental impacts. It takes into account a range of factors including the latest scientific evidence, veterinary advice, consumer concerns and industry practice.
	Throughout the negotiations we held extensive discussions with a range of stakeholders, both through a formal consultation on the proposals as well as through meetings and correspondence. We will continue to involve stakeholders during our transposition of the new directive into domestic legislation, and this will include a full 12-week public consultation period.

Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the role of the UK policy custodian for the marine and aquatic environment is, as stated in his Department's Marine and Fisheries Business Plan 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA is the UK policy custodian for the marine and aquatic environment. The purpose of the role is to seek to deliver clean, safe, healthy, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas through the Department's marine programme.

Seas and Oceans: Pollution Control

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to report on the review of the marine emergency contingency plan; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	The current National Contingency Plan for Marine Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations, agreed by Ministers, was published in November 2006. This plan ensures that there is a timely, measured and effective response to the threat of, or actual pollution of UK waters from ships or offshore installations. A copy of this plan is available on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's website at
	http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-environmental/mcga-dops_cp_environmental-counter-pollution/mcga-ncp.htm

Special Areas of Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which inshore sites he has identified to become special areas of conservation over the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: Currently, there are 28 Special Areas of Conservation with marine habitats or species in English inshore waters. Natural England are in the process of carrying out a programme of further data collection and survey work for seven additional inshore areas. This should lead to the selection of further Special Areas of Conservation.
	The areas involved include: Outer Wash sandbanks; Greater Thames estuary; Lyme Bay to Poole Bay; Salcombe to Yealm and Eddystone; Lizard Point; Lands End and Cape Bank; and Outer Morecombe Bay, Shell Flat and Lune Deep.

Special Areas of Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which offshore sites he has identified to become special areas of conservation over the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: We are completing our Natura 2000 network of sites in the marine area, which we hope to have substantially finalised by 2012. We expect to send an initial tranche of candidate offshore special areas of conservation to the European Commission before September 2008.
	The Joint Nature Conservation Committee will be consulting on seven initial sites later this month. These include: Braemar Pockmarks, Darwin Mounds, Haig Fras, North Norfolk Sandbanks and Saturn Reef, Scanner Pockmark, Stanton Banks and Wyville Thomson Ridge.
	Our programme of data collection and survey work will continue to identify further sites needed to complete the UK network.

Turtles: Conservation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 23 October 2007,  Official Report, column 168W, on Turtles: conservation, if he will list the UK wildlife crime priorities for 2007-08; and with respect to the illegal trade in CITES species, what the five species threatened by illegal trade are that are being focused on.

Joan Ruddock: The five UK wildlife crime priorities for 2007-08, agreed by senior Government and enforcement officers, are offences against bats and freshwater pearl mussels, the illegal trade in CITES species, the illegal killing of hen harriers, and poaching.
	With respect to the illegal trade in CITES species, the five areas being focused on are caviar, ivory, ramin, tortoises and traditional medicines.
	The priorities do not preclude action being taken to investigate and prosecute crimes against other wildlife species.

Waste Disposal

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of waste facilities required to meet the commitments entered into under the European Landfill Directive; how many such waste facilities exist; how many new ones are  (a) under construction and  (b) planned; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: No specific estimate has been made by my Department on the number of waste facilities needed. However, DEFRA's Waste Infrastructure Delivery Programme (WIDP) is maintaining a national overview of existing and planned residual treatment capacity to ensure that resources are applied in the most effective manner. It is the responsibility of local authorities, working on their own or in partnership with neighbouring authorities, to procure waste management facilities suited to local needs.
	While we are confident that we have enough infrastructure in place to meet our 2010 EU Landfill Directive target, current estimates suggest that we still require an increase in diversion capacity to allow us to meet the 2013 and 2020 targets. This infrastructure will help to facilitate an increase in both recycling and composting and diversion from landfill. The number of facilities required will depend upon the nature of waste delivery authority procurements, the technology selected and the size of individual plants.
	We are currently aware of 81 plants across England (covering a range of treatment and disposal technologies) that are scheduled to become operational from 2008 onwards. These will potentially provide the capacity to treat an extra 10.3 million tonnes of municipal waste. With the ongoing engagement WIDP is undertaking with authorities, the combination of authorities' ambitions and the utilisation of the £2 billion private finance initiative credits recently announced in the comprehensive spending review, the Government believe sufficient infrastructure can be delivered to meet our obligations under the Landfill Directive.
	It remains vital that regional spatial strategies and local development documents look forward and make adequate provision for the appropriate types and scales of infrastructure and waste treatment facilities needed. It is also important for specific and suitable sites to be identified in local plans.

Waste Disposal: Costs

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the average cost per capita of collecting waste in predominantly  (a) rural and  (b) urban local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: Local authorities report the cost of waste collection per head as best value performance indicator (BVPI) 86. Data for local authorities in England for 2006-07 are available on the DEFRA website.
	No specific assessment has been made of the average cost of collecting waste in rural compared to urban areas. However, it is possible to calculate the total per capita cost of household waste collection from the BVPI data. This shows that the average cost per head for predominantly rural authorities is £49.82 compared to £48.73 in urban authorities. Analysis of the individual local authority data shows that there is variability within these average costs.

Water

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration has been given to bringing the responsibility for drainage matters in a particular area under one statutory authority.

Phil Woolas: We are aiming to improve management of flood risk nationally and to clarify responsibilities by giving the Environment Agency a strategic overview of all forms of flooding in a close partnership with local authorities and the water companies in long term planning and strategic risk management.
	The Government is currently examining approaches to the management of surface water drainage. As part of the upcoming Government Water Strategy, Future Water, due to be published early in 2008, we will review the institutional arrangements for those bodies responsible for surface water. This work will take on board recommendations from Sir Michael Pitt's interim report, due shortly, and the 15 pilot projects we are funding to identify improvements to the management of urban drainage.

WALES

Business

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those meetings he has helped to arrange between ministerial colleagues across Government and Welsh business representatives over the last 12 months.

Peter Hain: It is my duty to facilitate meetings across Government both at Westminster and in Cardiff to strengthen economic opportunity for Wales and I and my office do so from time to time.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department and its agencies have spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in each of the last five years.

Peter Hain: Prior to 2004-05 these items were purchased by or paid for via the National Assembly for Wales and figures can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The expenses incurred by the Wales Office for the following years were:
	
		
			  £ 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  (a) Cards: 2,949.57 1,020 897.80 
			  (b) Parties: 1,284.28 2,523.96 5,538.33 
			  (c) Decorations: 0 0 100 
		
	
	Printing costs for invitations are not included this can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

Peter Hain: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation are contained in the 'Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers' list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is made in accordance with the ministerial code.

Right to Buy Scheme

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the Government first received the draft legislative competence order on the supervision of the right to buy from the Welsh Assembly Government.

Peter Hain: While discussions between the Welsh Assembly government and the UK Government concerning this proposal began at the end of June, the draft order that was published in the National Assembly on 4 December was first received by the Government on 29 November.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Equality

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality for what reasons responsibilities for administering the provisions of the Equal Pay Act 1970, Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Race Relations Act 1976, Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates Act) 2002, Civil Partnerships Act 2004 and the Equality Act 2006 are divided between Departments.

Barbara Follett: Responsibility for administering these provisions is not divided between different Departments. The Government Equalities Office is responsible for maintaining these pieces of legislation, working closely with a range of Departments which have a strong interest, including Communities and Local Government and the Ministry of Justice.

Equality

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what changes have been made to ministerial responsibility for each equality strand in the last year; and how these changes have been communicated to  (a) staff and  (b) stakeholders.

Barbara Follett: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement made by the Prime Minister on 26 July 2007 at:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070726/wmstext/70726m0004.htm#07072644000043
	and to a subsequent written ministerial statement made by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 18 October 2007:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm071018/wmstext/71018m0001.htm#07101814000009
	All changes to ministerial responsibility are reported to staff by senior officials within relevant Departments. Changes to ministerial responsibility were communicated to those stakeholders with whom there are regular contacts by correspondence or by telephone.

Ministerial Duties

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what proportion of the working week of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Government Equalities Office, is allocated to  (a) her role supporting the Minister for Women and Equalities and  (b) her role as Minister for the East of England.

Barbara Follett: There is no such thing as an average working week.
	As with any Minister who has a broad portfolio I prioritise my work accordingly.

OLYMPICS

Legacy Objectives

James Duddridge: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the legacy objectives are for the Olympic Games in Southend and the UK.

Tessa Jowell: We are committed to ensuring that everyone in the UK can be part of the 2012 games—through cultural events across the country, more opportunities to take part in sport and be physically active, and a wealth of volunteering, jobs and skills training initiatives. The five legacy promises that I published in June encapsulate these objectives, and I will be publishing an action plan in the new year making clear how these promises will be delivered. These aims apply to every nation and region of the UK, including Southend.

Budget

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what recent discussions she has had on the budget for the Olympic Games; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Ministerial Funders Group met on 26 November and agreed funding for the Olympic Delivery Authority within the £9.325 billion provision I announced in March.
	Since then I have had discussions with:
	the Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee;
	the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee;
	the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Culture spokesmen and
	the president of the International Olympic Committee.
	This morning, I presented a written statement to the House to update hon. Members on the budget for 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.

British Olympic Association

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the contribution of the British Olympic Association to preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: The British Olympic Association plays a key role in the preparations for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.
	The BOA is a member of the London organising committee, and its chairman, Lord Moynihan, is a member of the Olympic Board—the body responsible for overseeing the successful delivery of the games in 2012 and ensuring the games leave a lasting sporting and social legacy.
	The BOA is also responsible for selecting and leading Team GB. It provides support to Britain's Olympic athletes and works closely with national governing bodies and UK Sport to ensure the success of British athletes in 2012.

Scotland

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will make a statement on the expected effect of the 2012 Olympics on Scotland.

Tessa Jowell: It was a cornerstone of our successful 2012 bid that hosting the games in London would bring fantastic opportunities to the whole of the UK. We are working closely with organisations across the country, through the nations and regions group, to maximise UK-wide benefits. Scotland will host football events at Hampden park, bringing tourism and other benefits. There will also be opportunities around the cultural olympiad, volunteering and the potential to win contracts and host training camps.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics further to the permanent secretary's evidence to the Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday 15 November, what the Singapore commitments on mass participation sport costed in the Olympic budget are.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 26 November 2007
	As the permanent secretary said at the recent Public Accounts Committee on 14 November 2007, the £9.325 billion funding package for the Olympic and Paralympic games reflects commitments made in London's candidate city file, at the time of the bid, particularly in relation to construction for the games and regeneration. The candidate city file, often referred to as 'the bid book', is available in the House Library.
	The £9.325 billion funding package for the games, includes a £290 million contribution from the sport lottery distributors, which will be invested in maximising the benefit to British sport of hosting the games, through support of elite and community sport. The key areas of investment will be:
	Programmes of support for elite athletes and coaches;
	Development of facilities for elite and community use; and
	Community programmes/projects for clubs, coaches and volunteers, to increase participation and improve performance.
	The Government will publish a legacy action plan early in the new year, that will set out our commitments for the Olympic legacy, including for participation in sport, and how they will be delivered.

Olympic Games 2012: Training

Boris Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington of 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1034-35W, on Olympic Games 2012: training, how many of the 1,500 training places provided by the local employment and training framework for the Olympic Games are for  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) level (i) 1, (ii) 2, (iii) 3 and (iv) 4 qualifications.

Tessa Jowell: The initial focus of the local employment and training framework programme has been on basic employability and vocational skills based both on the needs of local people and those of the contractors currently employing the construction work force on the Olympic Park. The target for the financial year 2007-08 is 1,500 training places. Since its launch in January to September 2007, 1,169 training places have been offered, the vast majority of which were at level 1, with 13 above level 1. Information on places offered since then is not yet available.
	The LETF is only one of a broad range of initiatives being undertaken by the Mayor's London employment and skills taskforce for 2012, which is investing around £25 million per year in improving employment and training opportunities. LEST's target is to reduce worklessness in London by 70,000 by 2012, including by 20,000 in the five east London host boroughs.
	As part of this, the Prime Minister announced on 29 November a national constructions skills academy project on the Olympic park that would provide at least 1,000 job placements for people enrolled on local further education college construction courses, 1,000 other training placements for local people and more than 500 apprenticeship places.

PRIME MINISTER

Chequers

Anne Main: To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the answer of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1110W, to the hon. Member for Ochil and South Perthshire (Gordon Banks), on Chequers, when he plans to update the list of guests entertained at Chequers on the Cabinet Office website.

Gordon Brown: A list of guests entertained at Chequers for the financial year 2006-07 is available at 25 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 1110-11W.

Corporate Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

Gordon Brown: Chapter 7 of the ministerial code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.

Departmental Manpower

David Laws: To ask the Prime Minister how many people worked in No. 10 Downing street on  (a) 1 May 2007 and  (b) 1 December 2007, broken down by policy area; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 819-20W.

Public Sector: Ethics

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to foster and promote the public's trust in those in public life; what recent discussions he has had on the issue; with whom; what recent representations he has received about this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: As announced at Prime Minister's questions and in the debate on "Standards of Conduct in Public Life" on 5 December, I have appointed a new chair of the Committee on Standards for Public Life. Sir Christopher Kelly has been appointed for a single fixed term of five years. I met the outgoing interim chair of the committee and her successor on Thursday 6 December.
	"The Governance of Britain", which is currently out for public consultation, sets out the Government's proposals to limit the powers of the executive, make the executive more accountable and reinvigorate our democracy. The Queen's Speech announced that proposals will be brought forward to renew the constitutional settlement and strengthen the relationship between the Government, Parliament and the people. In addition the ministerial code was updated in July.

Saudi Arabia

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met representatives of the Saudi Arabian Government; what topics were discussed; how long the meeting lasted; and when he next expects to meet such representatives.

Gordon Brown: Details of my meeting with the Saudi Arabian Government can be found on the No. 10 website at:
	http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page13683.asp
	A copy of this webpage has been placed in the Library of the House.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operation

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Lynx helicopters are available for service on a 24-hour basis throughout the year in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by the then Minister of State for the Armed Forces on 26 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1353W.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operation

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British helicopters are carrying out operations in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: I have nothing to add to the reply given by the then Minister of State for the Armed Forces on 26 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1353W.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operation

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many combat-related injuries requiring hospitalisation of service personnel in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq there have been since January 2001, broken down by the home constituency of such personnel; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Casualty figures for Iraq and Afghanistan are published on the MOD website: http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets. These are updated fortnightly, in arrears, and show explicitly the number of personnel who were admitted to UK field hospitals and categorised as wounded in action, including as a result of hostile action, as well as the numbers aeromedically evacuated on medical grounds, whatever the reason.
	However, it is not possible to provide details of the home constituency of these personnel. To provide this information would involve disproportionate cost.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operation

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to acknowledge the contributions made by service personnel who have suffered injuries during service in Afghanistan and Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: It is recognised that the intensity of current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, coupled with the level of fatalities and wounded, has resulted in considerable public interest in how we recognise the contribution made by our servicemen and women. The military chiefs of staff keep this complex subject under constant review and they are the best placed to make recommendations on the way forward.
	I and my fellow Defence Ministers visit injured personnel on a regular basis, both in field hospitals on operations, in UK hospitals and at our rehabilitation centre at Headley Court. Ministers and service chiefs regularly highlight the courage and sacrifice of those wounded in operations. Access to the wounded services personnel has also been given to the media on a number of occasions at Headley Court.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operation

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rounds have been fired by British forces in each Brigade rotation in Helmand province since May 2006, broken down by type of ammunition used.

Bob Ainsworth: The records held only start from 13 August 2006. All usage figures are approximate. The figures cover all rounds fired by British personnel in Afghanistan. There has been minimal usage outside Helmand province.
	
		
			  Type of nature  Herrick 4 (August 2006 to October 2006)  Herrick 5 (October 2006 to April 2007)  Herrick 6 (April 2007 to October 2007)  Herrick 7 (October 2007 onwards) 
			 7.62mm all natures 210,000 520,000 1,100,000 135,000 
			 5.56mm all natures 235,000 615,000 1,170,000 180,000 
			 0.5 inch all natures 25,000 90,000 185,000 21,000 
			 12.7mm all natures 2,400 350 0 400 
			 9mm all natures 10,000 69,000 14,000 3,000 
			 0.338 200 1,700 4,900 490 
			 12 bore shotgun all natures 5 45 660 60 
			 105mm all natures 8,600 4,300 12,100 900 
			 30mm armoured fighting vehicle rounds 1,200 5,000 3,600 0 
			 30mm attack helicopter rounds 29,800 21,000 26,500 4,500

Airborne Task Force

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  which battalion forms the Airborne Task Force (ABTF); whether it is fully equipped; whether the ABTF is deployed; and when the next ABTF will take over from the current ABTF;
	(2)  which brigade forms the Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF); whether it is fully equipped; whether the JRRF is deployed; and when the next JRRF will take over from the current JRRF.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 4 December 2007
	The Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF) is made up of 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, 16 Air Assault Brigade and the High Readiness Mechanised or Armoured Brigade. None of these units is currently deployed in a JRRF capacity. The elements of the JRRF that are currently held at high readiness, therefore, are the Lead Commando Group (LCG) and the Lead Airborne Task Force (ABTF). The LCG is made up of elements of 3 Commando Brigade, while the ABTF is currently provided by the 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA). The remaining element of the high readiness reserve is provided by the Spearhead Land Element. The ABTF is due to be replaced by a Small Scale Focused Intervention Battlegroup, based on a Light Infantry Role Battlegroup, between February 2008 and January 2009; its readiness may vary over time depending on the unit rostered.
	For non-discretionary JRRF tasks, equipment holdings exist to ensure mission success. However, some equipment types might need to be re-apportioned from supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, dependent on the task, to ensure that appropriate quantities were available.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme: Scotland

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many veterans in Scotland have made successful claims from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

Derek Twigg: The number of successful claims made under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme from claimants living in Scotland is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Awards made under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme to claimants living in Scotland by financial year( 1,2) 
			   Awards 
			 Total 45 
			 2005-06 (3) 
			 2006-07 30 
			 2007-08(4) 15 
			 (1) Data have been rounded to the nearest five. Numbers may not add to totals because of rounding. (2) Data will include claims made from serving personnel as well as veterans. (3) Negligible value, (greater than zero, but less than five). (4) This covers the period from 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007.

Armed Forces: Compensation

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many veterans in Edinburgh have received compensation from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

Derek Twigg: The number of claimants living in Edinburgh who have received compensation under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Awards made under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme to claimants living in Edinburgh by financial year( 1, 2) 
			   Awards 
			 Total 10 
			   
			 2005-06  
			 2006-07 5 
			 2007-08(3) * 
			 (1) Data have been rounded to the nearest five.  refers to a value of zero, while * refers to a negligible value (greater than zero, but less than five). Numbers may not add to totals because of rounding. (2) Data will include claims made from serving personnel as well as veterans. (3) This covers the period from 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007.

Armed Forces: Compensation

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many veterans in Edinburgh have been found to have suffered disability as a result of their service in the armed forces but are not eligible for assistance through the  (a) Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and  (b) War Pension Scheme.

Derek Twigg: Under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme there have been less than five cases in Edinburgh, of claimants with injuries or conditions assessed as being due to service, not having met the minimum tariff level for compensation. Note that it is only possible to identify these cases for claims registered after 11 November 2005.
	The number of first claims made by claimants living in Edinburgh which resulted in a nil award under the War Pension Scheme since the financial year 2003-04 are shown in table 1 as follows. A nil award is made when the injury or condition claimed for is found to be attributable or aggravated by service, but disability is assessed at 0 per cent. and so no monetary award is made.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of Veterans in Edinburgh given a nil percentage assessment, by financial year( 1) 
			   Nil percentage assessment 
			 2003-04 10 
			 2004-05 10 
			 2005-06 10 
			 2006-07  
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest five,  represents a figure less than five.

Armed Forces: Absence Without Leave

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel were reported as absent without leave in the  (a) Royal Air Force,  (b) Royal Navy and  (c) Army in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The following table shows absence without leave statistics by calendar year for each Service since 1997:
	
		
			   RN  Army  RAF 
			 1997 30 1,450 15 
			 1998 30 1,850 15 
			 1999 35 2,055 20 
			 2000 60 2,710 25 
			 2001 95 2,650 25 
			 2002 105 2,950 25 
			 2003 120 2,820 35 
			 2004 185 3,030 55 
			 2005 195 2,715 35 
			 2006 155 2,330 10 
			 2007 105 2,060 20 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 and are as at 20 November 2007.  2. Differences in figures for individual years compared to previous answers occur because personnel may have been wrongly reported as AWOL in the first instance, or conversely they may have subsequently been found to have been AWOL and the records rectified later. AWOL statistics are recorded by the number of incidences of AWOL rather than the number of people who have gone AWOL, so there may be a number of people who are represented more than once in these figures.

Armed Forces: Ethnic Groups

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) members of ethnic minorities and  (b) women were serving in the armed forces in each of the last 10 years.

Derek Twigg: The information requested is available in Table 3 of the Tri-Service Publication 4UK Armed Forces Quarterly Manpower Report. The most recent publication is available at
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/natstats/tsp4/tsp4tab3.html

Armed Forces: Ethnic Groups

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to encourage more  (a) women and  (b) members of ethnic minorities to join the armed forces.

Derek Twigg: The armed forces continue to undertake numerous and varied initiatives, both at national and local level, aimed at encouraging more women and members of the ethnic minority communities to consider a service career.
	The recruiting organisations include female personnel to assist a fair gender representation in recruiting activities. Female service personnel are also used appropriately in advertising, to help illustrate life in the armed forces. Furthermore all three services have Presentation Teams to raise awareness of the armed forces, and they include visits to girls' schools.
	All three services have Specialist Diversity Teams which are heavily engaged in raising awareness and the profile of the armed forces and promoting service careers among the UK's ethnic minority and faith communities. The wide programme of events include: setting up and maintaining community partnerships across the UK; school, college and community visits; major ethnically centred events, including sports with particular ethnic minority interest; gatekeepers (e.g. teachers, community leaders, parents, etc.) visits; and extended campaigns in focused areas of high ethnic minority population.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial contribution he has made to those primary care trusts with the greatest number of serving and veteran service personnel within their areas.

Derek Twigg: While they are in the armed forces, British service personnel receive free medical treatment through the Defence Medical Services. When they leave the armed forces and when reservists are demobilised, the responsibility for their health care is transferred to the NHS. For in-service personnel and reservists, the Department annually commissions some 29 million of activity (out-patients and in-patient care) from the five NHS trusts hosting MOD Hospital Units (MDHUs) and from University Hospital Birmingham NHS foundation trust (UHBFT). This includes approximately 6.5 million for emergency care that we pay the MDHU host trusts and which is delivered under emergency access standards.
	The remainder (some 22.5 million annually) is used to commission accelerated access care over and above current NHS waiting times. Many service personnel are also referred into their local district general hospital by their referring GPs. In addition, we spend just over 1 million annually for other fast track access outside our MDHU host trusts.
	Introduced in 1953, NHS Priority Treatment was restricted to veterans with disablements accepted under our Armed Forces Compensation Scheme as service-related. The Health Secretary announced on 23 November that extended priority treatment will be available to all veterans whose conditions are suspected by the general practitioner of being service-related. Any costs will be paid for by the NHS. I announced the launch of the new veterans' mental health pilots in parallel as an important initiative to improve services for those with mental health problems. The MOD will provide start up costs to the six pilot sites participating in the scheme and cover the cost of project evaluation; we expect the total cost of the pilots to the Department to be some 500,000. Any pilot cost beyond this will be the responsibility of the local NHS trusts.

Armed Forces: Housing

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether receipts resulting from the return of void married quarters to Annington Homes will be used to improve the quality of the married quarters estate.

Derek Twigg: Within the terms of the Annington contract the return of void married quarters to Annington Homes does not generate a receipt for the MOD. Under the terms of the Profit Share Agreement with Annington Homes Limited, however, when MOD hand back surplus married quarters to Annington Homes and subsequently Annington Homes sell the properties, 22 per cent. of the proceeds of the sales of surplus MOD properties is returned to HM Treasury. These monies enter a consolidated general cash account and are not paid directly back from HM Treasury to the MOD.

Armed Forces: Housing

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what timescale a service personnel family must leave service quarters  (a) on the death of a serviceman or woman and  (b) in respect of a wounded serviceman or woman who is medically discharged; and what assistance is provided for finding civilian quarters in such circumstances.

Derek Twigg: The policy applied in these situations is set out in Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations.
	Following the death in service of a serviceman or woman, the bereaved spouse/civil partner and their family have continued entitlement to Service Families Accommodation (SFA) for a reasonable period to assist them in coming to terms with their bereavement and to enable them to determine their longer term housing requirements. A period of two years is offered. Retention of SFA may be extended beyond the two year period at the discretion of the local service commander in consultation with welfare, medical, and educational authorities and with Defence Estates OperationsHousing. The objective of the policy is to help the bereaved spouse/civil partner in their transition back into the civilian community. At no time will a bereaved spouse/civil partner and their families need to leave a property until they have secured suitable alternative accommodation.
	Once a decision has been taken to medically discharge an individual from the service, the Defence Medical Services health team who have been caring for that individual will liaise with appropriate civilian healthcare providers (e.g. General Practitioner, primary care trust, civilian mental health team, or NHS Hospital Trust) to ensure the transfer of care and patient history takes place. In addition, specialist health social workers will manage the individual's wider resettlement issues, liaising with relevant civil agencies such as local housing authorities, financial authorities, service welfare and charitable organisations. The objective is again to ensure that the individual's transfer into the civilian environment is as smooth and as seamless as possible.
	For personnel compulsorily discharged on medical grounds, 93 days continued use and occupancy of the SFA is permitted after the date of discharge. Thereafter, extensions of up to 93 days at a time may be granted on compassionate grounds at the discretion of Defence Estates OperationsHousing, in consultation with the appropriate local service commander. No personnel discharged will need to leave SFA until an appropriate alternative accommodation has been secured.
	The Joint Service Housing Advice Office (JSHAO) is available to all service personnel and their families, offering advice and guidance in sourcing social and private accommodation.

Armed Forces: Pay

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the service level agreement on the resolution of problems encountered by personnel in relation to the operation of the Joint Pay and Allowance System.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 29 November 2007
	I will arrange for a copy of the generic service level agreement covering the provision of services in support of service personnel, pay and pensions administration to be placed in the Library of the House. The service level agreement was between the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency, now the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency, and the Single Services.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether consideration has been given to the purchase of the Cheetah vehicle by his Department.

Bob Ainsworth: The Cheetah has been considered for a protected patrol vehicle programme. It did not, however, meet a number of key user requirements, and was therefore not taken forward.

Astute Class Submarines

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what he estimates the lifetime cost of the Astute programme will be.

Bob Ainsworth: The current whole-life cost estimate for the Astute programme, based on a Seven Boat Class, is 42 billion (outturn, VAT inclusive where applicable), comprising 9 billion for concept, design and manufacture; 32 billion for in-service (includes crew costs, support, maintenance and spares) and l billion for disposal.

Ballistic Missile Defence

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place on notification and consultation between the US Administration and the Government before RAF Fylingdales and RAF Menwith Hill could be used to engage hostile missile attacks on the US.

Des Browne: The early warning information that is provided by RAF Fylingdales, and is routed through RAF Menwith Hill, is shared by the US and UK. Appropriate procedures are in place for notification and consultation between the US Administration and the Government.

Charities: Fees and Charges

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department charged the charity organisers for the RAF Brize Norton 2005 Children in Need concert.

Derek Twigg: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	 Substantive answer from Derek Twigg to Nick Harvey:
	I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question of 19 November 2007, ( Official Report, Column 475W) asking how much the Ministry of Defence charged the charity organisers during the Children in Need concert held at RAF Brize Norton in November 2005.
	I can confirm that the charity organisers of the Children in Need event held at RAF Brize Norton in November 2005 were not charged by the MOD, because the BBC met many of the costs and donations from sponsors covered others.
	I am placing a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

Defence Estates: Charities

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which insurance firms his Department uses when insuring charity events on departmental property.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence does not purchase insurance policies to cover the risks incurred when charity events are held on departmental property. Such events are not part of the Ministry's core publicly funded defence business and therefore the charity is required to indemnify the Ministry of Defence against any resulting claims or costs.

Defence Estates: Charities

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who is responsible for obtaining public liability insurance when charity events are held on his Department's property.

Derek Twigg: Charity events are not part of the Ministry of Defence's core publicly funded defence business. The charity is therefore required to indemnify the Ministry against any resulting claims and is responsible for obtaining public liability insurance.

Defence Estates: Charities

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much Defence Estates Operation South has charged charity events for  (a) a defence estates licences,  (b) defence estates licence preparation costs and  (c) defence estates licences VAT costs in the last two years.

Derek Twigg: It is not possible to separately identify charges for charity events from other events without incurring disproportionate cost.

Defence Estates: Charities

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which official in Defence Estates Operation South has the authority to waive defence estates licence fees; and what the limits in size of fee are that can be waived.

Derek Twigg: Within Defence Estates Operations South, no officials have authority to waive licence fees.

Defence Estates: Charities

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much Defence Estates (Warminster) has billed in liability charges for events held on his Department's property since April 2005.

Derek Twigg: It is not possible to separately identify liability charges billed by Defence Estates (Warminster) from other charges for events without incurring disproportionate cost.

Defence Estates: Official Hospitality

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many decisions to waive the liability charge on Defence Estate (Aldershot) have been made for events since 2006; and what events were involved;
	(2)  how much Defence Estate (Andover) has billed in liability charges for events held on his Department's property since April 2005;
	(3)  how much Defence Estate (Sutton Coldfield) has billed in liability charges for events held on his Department's property since April 2005;
	(4)  how much Defence Estate (Salisbury) has billed in liability charges for events held on his Department's property since April 2005;
	(5)  how much Defence Estate (Osbaldwick, York) has billed in liability charges for events held on his Department's property since April 2005;
	(6)  how much Defence Estate (High Wycombe) has billed in liability charges for events held on his Department's property since April 2005;
	(7)  how much  (a) Defence Estate (Warminster),  (b) Defence Estate (Telford) and  (c) Defence Estate (Rosyth) has billed in liability charges for events held on his Department's property since April 2005;
	(8)  how many times Defence Estates (Aldershot) has waived the liability charge for events held on its property since 2006; and for which events the charge was waived.

Derek Twigg: It is not possible to separately identify liability charges billed by each Defence Estates (DE) office from other charges for events without incurring disproportionate cost in each case.
	DE Aldershot has made no decisions to waive liability charges for events since 2006.

Defence Estates: Official Hospitality

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 24 October 2007,  Official Report, column 332W, on Defence Estates: Official Hospitality, in reviewing the background of the Sergeant Biddiss Charity event held at RAF Brize Norton what criteria were assessed by officials considering the nature of the event.

Derek Twigg: Officials of Defence Estates took into account the charitable nature of the event and specifically the participants i.e. serving military personnel, and the very low marginal cost where the cost of collecting would be greater than the amount charged.

Departmental Computers

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's  (a) computers and  (b) laptops have been stolen in 2007; and what the value of those items was.

Derek Twigg: The following table shows the quantities of computers and laptops reported as stolen in 2007. The estimated replacement cost has been used, as it is not possible to provide the recorded value without incurring disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  2007  Number/cost 
			 Computers stolen 7 
			 Laptops stolen 68 
			 Estimated replacement cost () 130,188

Departmental Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was paid in consultancy fees by his Department in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: Summaries for the years 1995-96 to 2006-07 of MOD expenditure on external assistance, which includes various categories of consultancy, are available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Data Protection

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department's information technology and data management systems are BS7799 compliant.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Helicopters

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many journeys by helicopter Ministers in his Department have made since 27 June.

Derek Twigg: All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code. Since 27 June, Defence Ministers have travelled by helicopter once, on 12 October, when the then Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support returned to London from the Armed Forces Memorial dedication ceremony at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire.
	In addition, all visitors, including Ministers, use helicopters when visiting operational theatres and military exercises. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what opinion polls his Department has conducted of  (a) the public and  (b) staff since 27 June 2007; and what the (i) name of the firm employed to conduct the poll, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost to the public purse was in each case.

Derek Twigg: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, records are available of the polling that relates to recruitment activity by the armed forces, and of the polling carried out by our central communications organisation to establish the attitudes of the public and our personnel to various aspects of defence activity. The following polling in these categories has been completed since 27 June:
	
		
			  Purpose  Firm employed  Cost (all VAT inclusive)  
			 Top level reputation tracking of the MOD and armed forces Ipsos MORI 65,155.00 
			 Website visitor survey assessing views on the Royal Marine website Virtual Surveys(1) 9,300.00 
			 Army reputation tracking Populus 2 polls, 13,275 each 
			 Territorial Army recruitment and retention Cragg Ross Dawson(1) 38,951.26 
			 (1 )Procured through Central Office of Information.

Ex-servicemen: Disabled

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many veterans in Scotland have been found to have suffered disability as a result of their service in the armed forces but are not eligible for assistance through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or the War Pension Scheme.

Derek Twigg: The number of claims made under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme by claimants living in Scotland with injuries or conditions that have been assessed as being due to service, but not having met the minimum level for compensation are shown in table 1 as follows:
	
		
			  Table 1: Claims  made under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme to claimants living in  Scotland where the minimum tariff level for compensation was not met( 1, 2) 
			   Claims 
			 Total 20 
			   
			 2005-06(3) * 
			 2006-07 15 
			 2007-08(4) * 
			 (1) Data have been rounded to the nearest five.  refers to a value of zero, while * refers to a negligible value (greater than zero, but less than five). Numbers may not add to totals because of rounding. (2) Data will include claims made from serving personnel as well as veterans. (3) Data are unavailable for claims registered between 6 April 2005 and 11 November 2005. (4) This covers the period from 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007. 
		
	
	The number of first claims made by claimants living in Scotland which resulted in a nil award under the War Pension Scheme since the financial year 2003-04 are shown in table 2 as follows. A nil award is made when the injury or condition claimed for is found to be attributable or aggravated by service, but disability is assessed at 0 per cent. and so no monetary award is made.
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of Veterans in Scotland given a nil percentage assessment, by financial year( 1) 
			   Nil percentage assessment 
			 2003-04 125 
			 2004-05 115 
			 2005-06 110 
			 2006-07 105 
			 (1) Data have been rounded to the nearest five.

Ex-servicemen: Medals

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many veterans in each constituency have applied for the Veterans' Badge; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. A total of 532,000 badges had been issued up to and including 23 November 2007.

Iraq: Aviation

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are to open Basra Airport to commercial flights; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: Basra International airport received its first commercial flight, operated by Iraqi Airways, in January 2005. It continues to act as an international airport receiving both commercial and military aircraft.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flying hours RAF helicopter pilots  (a) are required to have and  (b) have on average before being deployed on operational duties flying (i) Puma, (ii) Merlin, (iii) Chinook and (iv) Sea King helicopters.

Bob Ainsworth: The minimum number of flying hours that an RAF helicopter pilot would have before being considered to fly on operational duties are shown, by aircraft type, in the following table. These figures include hours flown on fixed wing and helicopter training aircraft. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five hours.
	
		
			  Helicopter type  Minimum hours flown 
			 Puma 270 
			 Merlin 245 
			 Chinook 270 
			 Sea King 290 
		
	
	The average number of flying hours that helicopter pilots have flown prior to operational deployment is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Navy: Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how many patrol days in each category of operation each class of fishery patrol vessel was used in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of patrol days on fishery protection for each class of fishery patrol vessel for the years 2002-03 were as follows:
	
		
			   Island  Hunt  River 
			 2002-03 557 363 22 
			 2003-04 375 250 345 
			 2004-05  254 626 
			 2005-06  219 636 
			 2006-07  227 618 
			  Note Figures for the years 1997-98 to 2001-02 are not available. 
		
	
	The operational focus of River and Island classes of vessels during this period was fishery protection. Time not spent on fishery protection was used for standoffs, training, maintenance, passage and visits, and, in the case of River class vessels, unused days owned by VT Group plc. The primary role of the Hunt class vessels is Mine Counter Measure, not fishery protection. Details of the operations conducted by these vessels, apart from fishery patrols, are not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

RAF Kinloss: Redundancy

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Nimrod Line personnel at RAF Kinloss  (a) requested premature voluntary redundancy and  (b) took redundancy in 2006; and how many have done so in 2007.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 29 November 2007
	The RAF does not retain information on those applicants who requested redundancy but were unsuccessful, and as such it is not possible to provide the number of Nimrod Line personnel at RAF Kinloss who requested redundancy.
	Details of Nimrod Line personnel who left the RAF under redundancy terms are given in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2006 5 
			 2007 10 
			  Notes: 1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.

United Kingdom Hydrographic Office

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many consultation events have been held as part of the review of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office.

Derek Twigg: Consultations took place through meetings and telephone discussions with a wide range of stakeholders from the public and private sectors. International stakeholders were also consulted. Public sector stakeholders consulted throughout the study are the following Departments:
	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs;
	Department for Transport (including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency);
	Her Majesty's Treasury;
	Office of Fair Trading; and
	Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	UKHO Government customers and trade unions representing UKHO employees have also been consulted.
	Private-sector stakeholders, including two trade associations, shipping fleet operators, distributors of navigational products, manufacturers of 'Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems' and commercial customers and other companies with an interest in public sector information, have been consulted.
	International stakeholders consulted include foreign government hydrographic offices, data suppliers and flag states.
	Given the continuous nature of this process, we do not hold records of the precise number of meetings and discussions held.

War Pensions: Edinburgh

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many veterans in Edinburgh have made successful claims for war pensions as funded by the War Pensions Scheme.

Derek Twigg: Due to the historical nature of the scheme, information on the total number of war disablement pensions awarded is not available. However, as at 30 June 2007 there were 1,065(1) war disablement pensions in payment to veterans living in Edinburgh.
	Information is also available on the number of successful claims cleared in the last four financial years, since 2003-04. These are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Successful war disablement pension claims in Edinburgh, by financial year( 1) 
			   Successful claims 
			 2003-04 25 
			 2004-05 25 
			 2005-06 15 
			 2006-07 20 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.

War Pensions: Scotland

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many veterans in Scotland have made successful claims for war pensions funded by the War Pension Scheme.

Derek Twigg: Due to the historical nature of the scheme, information on the total number of war disablement pensions awarded is not available. However, as at 30 June 2007 there were 17,640(1) war disablement pensions in payment to veterans living in Scotland.
	Information is also available on the number of successful claims cleared in the last four financial years, since 2003-04. These are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Successful war disablement pension claims in Scotland,  by financial year( 1) 
			   Successful claims 
			 2003-04 375 
			 2004-05 350 
			 2005-06 380 
			 2006-07 330 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.

Young People

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff aged between 16 and 18 were employed by his Department  (a) directly and  (b) through an employment agency in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of these were given time off work to undertake some form of training; and what proportion were provided with some form of training (i) wholly and (ii) partially funded by his Department.

Derek Twigg: The following table shows strengths of civilian personnel(1) aged between 16 and 18 at 1 April each year.
	(1) Includes industrial and non-industrial personnel and trading funds, and excludes Royal Fleet Auxiliaries and locally engaged civilians.
	
		
			  H eadcount 
			   Ages 16 to 18  Total strength 
			 1998 770 110,800 
			 1999 830 107,890 
			 2000 810 106,210 
			 2001 710 104,720 
			 2002 600 95,870 
			 2003 490 93,550 
			 2004 410 93,330 
			 2005 370 92,470 
			 2006 350 88,660 
			 2007 260 83,930 
			  Source: DASA (Quad-service) 
		
	
	These numbers cannot be broken down by those employed directly and those employed through an employment agency, as this is not held centrally.
	The proportion given time off work to undertake training funded by the MOD is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, all those entitled to day release would have been entitled to the following assistance:
	All fees, including those for examinations, for day classes, for evening classes or for block release courses in lieu of classes and relevant text book costs would be paid for by MOD;
	Time off in lieu may be taken to compensate for classes undertaken at evenings or weekends.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) apprenticeship and  (b) advanced apprenticeship places he plans to provide in each year to 2020.

David Lammy: Planned apprenticeship outputs/volumes by academic year to 2010-11 were published in the Learning and Skills Council's Statement of Priorities on 16 November 2007. The breakdown requested by apprenticeships at level 2 and advanced apprenticeships at level 3 is not available. A detailed trajectory to 2020 will be published as part of the review of apprenticeships, which is due for completion in early 2008.

Apprentices

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people who completed a programme-led apprenticeship based at a college went on to complete a full level-3 apprenticeship in the same field in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: Figures for those participating in apprenticeships funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) can be derived from the individualised learner record. The programme-led apprenticeship is an initiative to enable more learners to enter an employed-status apprenticeship programme. When they achieve their agreed goals, learners cease to be on a PLA and then become mainstream apprentices. It is possible to calculate participation for programme-led apprenticeships from the ILR data, but not their progression onto mainstream apprenticeships and therefore the associated framework achievement.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of employers who will have to take on apprentices in order to meet the Government's target for apprenticeships in 2020.

David Lammy: The Government have announced plans to increase overall apprenticeship places from 250,000 today to 400,000 by 2020 but earlier if high-quality employer places are available. We therefore plan to expand the number of employers offering apprenticeships and the number of places offered by employers who are already involved in the programme. However, we do not intend to dictate to individual employers how many apprentices they require to meet their particular skills needs. A detailed trajectory covering the expansion of apprenticeship places to 2020 will be published as part of the review of apprenticeships, which is due for completion in early 2008.

Departmental Computers

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many of his Department's  (a) computers and  (b) laptops have been stolen in 2007; and what the value of those items was.

David Lammy: No computers or laptops have been stolen from the Department in 2007. The value of stolen items is therefore zero.

Departmental Consultants

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what contracts his Department has with external consultants; what the total value, including all VAT and disbursements, of these contracts is for the current financial year; how long each contract lasts; and what the forecast total value is of each contract.

David Lammy: DIUS operates a devolved procurement structure for consultancy contracts. As such there is no central register of contracts let. Therefore this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Data Protection

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether his Department's information technology and data management systems are BS7799 compliant.

David Lammy: The Department currently shares information technology and data management systems with the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
	The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform's Information Security Management System is not only compliant but has been independently certified to BS7799 since May 2002. In March 2007 certification was successfully achieved against the new ISO27001 standard. The certificate will be updated to reflect the name change to BERR at the next surveillance audit in 2008.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families systems work to the principles of the BS7799 standard.

Departmental Manpower

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people aged  (a) 30 to 39,  (b) 40 to 49,  (c) 50 to 59 and  (d) 60 to 69 years have (i) applied for jobs, (ii) received interviews and (iii) gained (A) temporary and (B) permanent jobs in his Department in 2007.

David Lammy: The Department was formed as part of the machinery of government changes on 28 June 2007. Numbers of staff recruited to the new Department since then have been small. The figures are set out by the relevant age bands in the following table:
	
		
			  Age range  Permanent  Temporary 
			 Age under 30 15 2 
			 Age 30 to 39 10 0 
			 Age 40 to 49 6 0 
			 Age 50 to 59 2 0 
			 Age 60 to 69 1 0 
		
	
	Detailed information on applicants and interviews is held by individual teams and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Educational Institutions: Registrations

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 166W, on educational institutions: registrations, how many illegal immigrants were detected at each of the 114 colleges removed from the Register of Education and Training Providers.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	The Border and Immigration Agency is not able to advise how many illegal immigrants were detected at the 114 colleges removed from the Register of Educational Providers since its inception. The Border and Immigration Agency can advise the names of the colleges removed and the numbers of students granted further leave to remain on the basis of their studies at these colleges. However, some of these students may have started their studies in the UK at these colleges, found them to be non bona fide and transferred to a genuine education provider. At present, it is not mandatory for a foreign student to notify the Border and Immigration Agency when they change their place of study. Nor is it mandatory for a foreign student to study at any given establishment, although this will change with the introduction of the points based system.

Galileo

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what ancillary functions have been designed into the Galileo satellite system; what assessment he has made of their contribution to achieving the objectives of the Galileo project; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 19 November 2007
	 The main characteristics of Galileo were agreed by the Council of European Transport Ministers at their meeting on 9-10 December 2004. There have been no decisions taken on any ancillary functions for the system.

Higher Education: Closures

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which UK university  (a) mathematics,  (b) chemistry and  (c) science departments have closed since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Information on the closure, merger or opening of particular university departments has not been collected by the Department and not all science teaching is organised on a departmental basis. However, we have consistently made it clear that, if a physics or chemistry department closes at one institution, the Higher Education Funding Council for England should seek to maintain capacity elsewhere and we announced last year that the Council should report to us on how provision can be maintained in this way. Some science subjects are starting to become more popular and the measures that we are taking to increase demand and the extra 75 million announced last year should help to sustain capacity as demand increases. Physics and chemistry are also taught as major subjects at some 50 and 70 UK institutions, respectively. The latest figures published by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service show that the number of students who have been accepted for entry to full-time undergraduate courses in chemistry in autumn 2007 is up by nearly 13 per cent. compared to 2005, while the figures for physics have increased by 10 per cent. over the same period.

Higher Education: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills on what he plans to spend the 100 million annually previously spent on second degrees.

Bill Rammell: All of the 100 million will be redistributed back to higher education providers to enable more people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in higher education for the first time. We estimate that by 2010-11, 20,000 people will be studying for a first HE qualification who otherwise would not have been able to do soenough to fill an entire university.

Members: Correspondence

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the excepted courses are that are mentioned in his letter of 7 September 2007 to the chairman of the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Bill Rammell: The excepted courses to which reference was made cover those relating to medicine, initial teacher training, dentistry, veterinary studies, social work, other health professional courses, architecture, landscape design and management, and town and country planning. The courses are kept under review. In addition, we asked HEFCE to consider whether there should be further exceptions or modifications for some categories of student; and on what grounds. The consultation exercise that HEFCE is conducting on how the policy can best be implemented ends on 7 December.

School Leaving

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the basis was for his calculation that the economic benefits of increasing the compulsory education age to 18 years would be 2.4 billion per birth cohort; and if he will place in the Library the documentary sources used to make the calculation.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	The basis of the estimate of economic benefits of raising the participation age (RPA) is new joint research by Sheffield university and DCSF. The research's central estimate of the additional benefits of RPA is around 2.4 billion for a single cohort of young people, discounted over their lifetimes. This research was published alongside the introduction of the Education and Skills Bill to the House on 29 November. This estimate was derived in three stages:
	1. Modelling how many additional young people participate in full-time education as a result of RPA;
	2. Modelling the attainment of these additional participants; and
	3. Estimating the value of lifetime productivity gains from more young people having attained these extra qualifications.
	For further details of the methodology and data sources used to estimate the economic benefits of RPA (and the magnitude of the benefits under alternative scenarios), the full report is accessible at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RW026.pdf.
	The research will also be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Students: Loans

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the amount of debt owed to the Student Loan Company by residents from the London Borough of Havering in higher education.

Bill Rammell: On 31 March 2007, 7,744 borrowers from the London borough of Havering owed 58,372,536 for publicly-owned student loans. This is based on the local authority area the borrower lived in at the time of their application for a loan.

Students: Loans

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the debt owed to the Student Loan Company by residents from the London Borough of Bexley in higher education.

Bill Rammell: On 31 March 2007, 8,701 borrowers from the London borough of Bexley owed 67,771,064 for publicly-owned student loans. This is based on the local authority area the borrower lived in at the time of their application for a loan.

HOME DEPARTMENT

101 Calls: Leicester

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what expenditure her Department incurred in advertising, marketing and promoting the 101 telephone line in Leicester; how many calls to the line resulted in prosecutions for  (a) antisocial behaviour and  (b) other criminal offences; on what date the decision was taken to withdraw funding for the line; and on what date this decision was communicated to Leicester city council;
	(2)  what representations she has received from Leicester city council in the last 12 months on funding of the 101 telephone line.

Tony McNulty: The 101 service was launched to the public in Leicester city and Rutland on 4 September 2006 and subsequently in Melton and Harborough, covering a population of approximately 450,000. Around 272,000 was spent by the Home Office on publicising the new service locally and informing the public in these areas how it should be used, resulting in more than 65,000 calls to date from the public being made to the local 101 service.
	Information on how many of these calls to the 101 service resulted in prosecutions for  (a) antisocial behaviour and  (b) other criminal offences is not collected centrally.
	It was decided on 8 November 2007 not to continue to fund centrally the operation of the 101 service in the live areas but to continue to fund the national 101 telephony infrastructure, to ensure that the number remained available for use by those areas who wished to maintain or develop their own locally funded 101 service. Following discussion with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, co-sponsors of the 101 Programme, this decision was communicated to Leicester city council on 15 November 2007.
	The Home Office has worked closely with Leicester city council and partners over the last 12 months to understand the benefits of the 101 service and to inform options for its future operation. As such, Leicester city council's views were taken into consideration as part of the Home Office's decision on future funding for the 101 service.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were for being drunk and disorderly of 10 to 17-year-olds in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) each police force area in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested on prosecutions is provided in table A.
	In addition to prosecutions, the offence of being drunk and disorderly can attract a penalty notice for disorder (PND). The offence was added to the PND scheme on 1 January 2004 and data on the number of PNDs issued in 2004 to 2006 broken down by police force area are provided in table B.
	
		
			  Number of defendants aged 10 to 17 proceeded against at magistrates courts for being drunk and disorderly( 1, ) by police force area, England and Wales, 1997 to 2006( 2, 3) 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 16 12 12 12 25 20 23 18 23 24 
			 Bedfordshire 2 13 6 12 10 5 13 15 11 7 
			 Cambridgeshire 7 4 13 7 10 3 15 17 11 12 
			 Cheshire 53 55 46 50 57 59 59 63 11 14 
			 City of London  1 
			 Cleveland 83 74 91 62 74 77 75 66 25 18 
			 Cumbria 79 62 59 46 52 50 62 53 41 47 
			 Derbyshire 24 19 8 18 28 33 34 44 25 18 
			 Devon and Cornwall 37 36 30 62 76 60 69 91 63 77 
			 Dorset 17 21 13 22 24 27 30 12 5 10 
			 Durham 31 53 65 56 49 60 58 54 75 49 
			 Essex 34 37 39 58 47 29 26 27 11 11 
			 Gloucestershire 17 7 10 12 9 9 13 8 8 5 
			 Greater Manchester 55 65 62 106 93 77 66 47 25 21 
			 Hampshire 47 79 88 78 81 79 81 82 59 32 
			 Hertfordshire 21 14 25 27 30 35 28 20 29 10 
			 Humberside 14 8 22 24 23 24 16 26 17 19 
			 Kent 41 41 59 78 84 80 120 126 66 67 
			 Lancashire 79 107 160 182 204 194 209 122 75 91 
			 Leicestershire 3 1 7 1 5 2 1  1  
			 Lincolnshire 35 55 46 31 40 43 41 47 12 2 
			 Merseyside 285 192 166 197 163 166 169 128 72 76 
			 Metropolitan Police 50 49 55 65 102 85 97 65 22 32 
			 Norfolk 1 4 4 4 7 6 12 6 2 3 
			 North Yorkshire 10 17 29 26 26 32 33 20 30 26 
			 Northamptonshire 1   3 1 3 5 6 2 4 
			 Northumbria 255 315 327 372 366 384 409 467 514 438 
			 Nottinghamshire 32 36 37 22 32 26 23 14 16 18 
			 South Yorkshire 84 80 100 124 92 116 125 126 53 64 
			 Staffordshire(4) 20 14 21 25 16 25 40 22 23 11 
			 Suffolk 7 5 13 17 25 32 36 34 18 8 
			 Surrey 19 22 13 25 30 33 30 25 26 11 
			 Sussex 27 26 8 39 38 53 61 45 37 33 
			 Thames Valley 34 57 46 45 74 63 48 60 39 34 
			 Warwickshire 26 23 27 20 26 10 14 9 3 7 
			 West Mercia 37 34 34 35 58 45 31 61 63 51 
			 West Midlands 41 27 13 30 21 38 42 35 19 40 
			 West Yorkshire 314 157 203 186 165 127 169 65 62 125 
			 Wiltshire 8 19 12 19 17 24 25 28 15 13 
			
			 Dyfed-Powys 12 13 3 3 13 7 14 15 17 17 
			 Gwent 57 23 23 33 29 14 15 24 30 35 
			 North Wales 62 77 87 57 54 73 74 39 31 23 
			 South Wales 79 94 94 78 61 67 43 79 71 37 
			
			 England and Wales 1,976 2,048 2,176 2,369 2,437 2,395 2,554 2,311 1,758 1,640 
			 (1) Offence under the Criminal Justice Act 1967 S.91. (2) Data are provided on the principal offence basis. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.  Source:  RDSCourt proceedings databaseOffice for Criminal Justice ReformMinistry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of PNDs issued to offenders aged 16 and 17 for being drunk and disorderly, by police force area, England and Wales 2004 to 2006( 1) 
			  Police force area  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset  5 11 
			 Bedfordshire 12 14 14 
			 British Transport police (2) (2) 9 
			 Cambridgeshire 1 16 11 
			 Cheshire 39 17 8 
			 Cleveland 37 61 23 
			 Cumbria 22 62 55 
			 Derbyshire 27 59 64 
			 Devon and Cornwall  79 110 
			 Dorset 4 4 8 
			 Durham 7 10 6 
			 Essex 40 43 46 
			 Gloucestershire 22 14 12 
			 Greater Manchester 7 34 24 
			 Hampshire 16 65 22 
			 Hertfordshire 19 31 21 
			 Humberside 57 51 70 
			 Kent 12 120 134 
			 Lancashire 207 408 479 
			 Leicestershire  4 1 
			 Lincolnshire 6 6 11 
			 London, City of  3  
			 Merseyside 219 322 332 
			 Metropolitan 55 81 77 
			 Norfolk 2 5 1 
			 North Yorkshire 1  38 
			 Northamptonshire 17 50 57 
			 Northumbria  26 227 
			 Nottinghamshire 31 27 22 
			 South Yorkshire 106 111 193 
			 Staffordshire 36 23 27 
			 Suffolk 4 28 17 
			 Surrey 2 8 13 
			 Sussex 74 104 75 
			 Thames Valley 11 4 19 
			 Warwickshire 9 9 8 
			 West Mercia 3 39 60 
			 West Midlands 81 101 148 
			 West Yorkshire 64 142 304 
			 Wiltshire 6 6 18 
			 
			 Dyfed Powys 14 20 17 
			 Gwent 4 24 14 
			 North Wales 53 95 139 
			 South Wales 1 23 64 
			 
			 England and Wales 1,328 2,354 3,009 
			 (1 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) Not applicable. The British Transport police began issuing PNDs in 2006.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to reduce excessive consumption of alcohol among people under 21 years of age.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are committed to reducing excessive alcohol consumption among young people. In June of this year, the Home Office, Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families jointly launched 'Safe. Sensible. Social. The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy', which builds on lessons learned and progress made since the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England (published in March 2004). The renewed strategy outlines the Government's long-term commitment to tackling alcohol-related harms among young people through a combination of robust enforcement of the law, information and awareness-raising through communications campaigns to help them make informed decisions about alcohol, and treatment for those that need it.
	We have recently carried out a Tackling Under Age Sales of Alcohol campaign, which saw overall failure rates failing to 14 per cent. and have just begun a Responsible Alcohol sales campaign. The Department's recent Confiscation of Alcohol campaign to support the commencement of new powers and the use of existing powers in relation to the confiscation of alcohol resulted in large volumes of alcohol being seized from young people drinking in public places. In addition, we launched Alcohol Arrest Referral pilots in Cheshire, Ealing, Manchester and Liverpool in October that aim to reduce re-offending by individuals who have been arrested for alcohol-related offences.
	We see information and awareness-raising as key to reducing excessive alcohol consumption by young people. The Know Your Limits binge drinking campaign has been successful in raising awareness of the dangers of binge drinking. We will, in the new year, launch the next phase of the Government's alcohol communications campaign, which will seek to raise awareness of units and target the tolerance of drunkenness.

Animal Experiments: Ministers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will list the Ministers in her Department who have had responsibility for animal experiments since 1 May 1997, giving the start and end date of their tenure in each case.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 3 December 2007
	The following table lists the available details of Home Office Ministers who have had responsibility for animal experiments since May 1997.
	
		
			  Approximate date of appointment as Minister responsible for the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 
			   Minister 
			 May 1997 Lord Williams of Mostyn 
			 September 1998 George Howarth 
			 August 1999 Mike O'Brien 
			 May 2001 Angela Eagle 
			 May 2002 Bob Ainsworth 
			 June 2003 Caroline Flint 
			 May 2005 Andy Burnham 
			 May 2006 Joan Ryan 
			 July 2007 Meg Hillier

Animal Experiments: Primates

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often overseas centres, approved to supply non-human primates to human laboratories in the UK, are revisited by her Department's inspectors.

Meg Hillier: The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and the standard conditions placed on project licences allow for the sourcing of laboratory animals (listed in Schedule 2 to the Act) from abroad only if authorised and if no suitable animals are available in the United Kingdom.
	Visits by the animals inspectorate are risk based, depending on the need to monitor standards of husbandry and care or the progress of improvements. When appropriate, they are timed to coincide with applications for acceptance or continued acceptance of an overseas centre. The Inspectorate will usually consider a visit necessary before giving advice on the continuing acceptability of a centre, and may regard a visit as appropriate if concerns about an accepted centre are raised.
	On this basis, an overseas centre approved to supply non-human primates to designated establishments will be visited about every two to four years, depending on the findings from the previous visit, the need to reassess on site and whether animals are being supplied from the site. Between visits, interim assessments are made from information provided by other visitors and responses to specific questions on current care and accommodation

Anti-Terrorism Control Orders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 177-78W, on anti-terrorism control orders, how many individuals subjected to control orders have been deemed ineligible for employment or other benefits due to the terms of their control order; how much funding these individuals have received in subsistence payments; over what time period; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Since the commencement of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, the Home Office is aware that one individual was assessed as being ineligible for employment related benefits, for a short period, as a result of the terms of the control order. The individual concerned received alternative subsistence payments totalling 240 over an eight-week period in 2006.

Asylum

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Asylum Case Resolution Programme will be completed.

Liam Byrne: In his statement on 19 July 2006, my right hon. Friend the previous Home Secretary advised that the Border and Immigration Agency would resolve its backlog of electronic and paper records relating to unresolved asylum cases in five years or less. It remains our intention to conclude all cases by July 2011.

Asylum

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) Iraqi and  (b) Afghan nationals granted asylum in the UK have settled in (i) England, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland in each of the last six years.

Liam Byrne: The requested information is not available, as we do not require those granted asylum to live in a particular place.
	The closest available information is the number of asylum seekers in receipt of support from the Border and Immigration Agency, broken down by Government office region and local authority. This is published on a quarterly and annual basis and the latest publication, covering the third quarter of 2007, is available on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html. Further breakdowns, of those in receipt of support from BIA, by parliamentary constituency, are also available from the Library of the House.

Asylum: Sudan

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on returning Darfuri refused asylum-seekers to Sudan; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: All applications for asylum, including those from Darfuris from Sudan are considered on their individual merits against the background of the latest case law and country information. Claimants who meet the definition of a refugee in the 1951 convention are granted asylum. Those, whose applications are refused, have a right of appeal to the independent Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. In this way we ensure that protection is afforded to those who need it.
	We are investigating the allegations made in a recent Aegis Trust report on ill treatment of returnees. No enforced returns will take place until these investigations are completed.

Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on  (a) business and  (b) first-class air travel in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: The Department's accounting system does not separately identify expenditure on first class, business class and standard class travel for air travel. Such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department expects all official travel to be carried out by the most efficient and economic means available, taking into account the cost of travel and subsistence, savings in official time, management benefit, and the needs of staff with disabilities. This is in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.
	The Cabinet Office produces the annual list of Cabinet Ministers' overseas travel. The list for 2006-07 was published on 25 July 2007.

Border and Immigration Agency

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Border and Immigration Agency will provide a substantive reply to the letter of 14 September 2007 from the hon. Member for Aylesbury, reference L1123626 and B25881/7, about Mr. D. L. of Aylesbury.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 5 December 2007
	The Border and Immigration Agency responded to the hon. Member for Aylesbury on 1 October 2007 and resent the reply again on 3 December 2007.

Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward legislation to give the Secretary of State for the Home Department powers to remove the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis from office; what recent representations she has received about the matter; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: No. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is satisfied with the existing legislative position on this matter, and has had no representations on it other than this question. My right hon. Friend has made clear her support for Sir Ian Blair.

Community Support Officers

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what competencies are required of police community support officers.

Tony McNulty: The Police Could You website (www.policecouldyou.co.uk) contains information and guidelines for potential PCSO applicants, as well as a guide to becoming a police community support officer. This guide lists effective communication, community and customer focus, respect for race and diversity, team working and personal responsibility as key qualities needed to become a PCSO.
	As set out in section 38 of the Police Reform Act 2002, it is for the chief officer of each force to determine whether a person is suitable for and capable of the role to which he/she is to be deployed. Each chief officer must also ensure that the PCSO is adequately trained to use the powers he/she has been designated.

Community Support Officers

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were detained by a police community support officer in each of the last four years; and in how many cases a police officer took charge of the detainee within half an hour of detention.

Tony McNulty: The information is not collected centrally.

Crime: Young People

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of crimes were committed by persons aged between 16 and 25 years in  (a) Cornwall,  (b) each parliamentary constituency in Cornwall and  (c) England in each year since 1979, broken down by category of offence.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The Home Office collects statistics on the number of offences recorded by the police in England and Wales but no information is collected on the age of the alleged offenders.

Departmental ICT

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which manufacturers' software is used in her Department.

Liam Byrne: In the main, the Home Office no longer chooses specific software. There are a large number of computer systems operated by the Department.
	The choice of software to meet the business needs of the Home Office now largely rests with its Strategic IST suppliers who are contracted, largely under the private finance initiative (and public-private partnership arrangements), to meet business requirements and provide value for money solutions, including the consideration of open source solutions.
	Within our business requirements, the Home Office ensures that any technical choices should meet relevant Government software standards and provide for interoperability with the public and business partners.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining her Department's and its agencies' corporate identity; and what the estimated annual cost is of  (a) producing and  (b) complying with such guidelines.

Liam Byrne: The costs of producing revised corporate guidelines was 21,878.50. This was a one-off costthere is no annual cost for producing further guidelines.
	There are no costs associated with complying with the guidelines. The Home Office logo did not change, so no new stationary was required. The guidelines were created to prevent the creation of new logos and identities with the intention of saving the Department money by enforcing the single Home Office logo use on all communication.
	A copy of the corporate guidelines has been placed in the House Library.

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value is of the unitary payments of each private finance initiative scheme overseen by her Department over the lifetime of the contract expressed in constant 2007-08 prices; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Details of each private finance initiative scheme overseen by the Home Department with information on estimated unitary charges for 2007-08 is available on HM Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public_private_partnerships/ppp_pfi_stats.cfm
	The estimated unitary charge is based on 2006-07 actual charges and is not simply repayments for capital value of the project but frequently include other factors such as inflation, service provision, capital repayments and major refurbishment.
	To provide information on the unitary payments over the lifetime of the contract expressed in 2007-08 prices and discounted to present value would incur disproportionate costs. On average an appropriate discount rate to use for providing a net present value total would be as set out in the Green Book as real discount rate of 3.5 per cent.
	The signed deals list covers unitary charges up until 2033-34 and to update the figures to cover the duration of the contract would incur disproportionate cost.
	The Secretary of State has no plans to make a statement.

Deportation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-EU nationals she has been unable to deport since October 2000 due to  (a) UK courts finding a real risk of them suffering treatment contrary to Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights on their return and  (b) her Department accepting that any such deportation would be in breach of Article 3 rights.

Liam Byrne: The information requested can only be obtained through the detailed examination of individual case files to ascertain the specific reason for an allowed appeal against deportation or when it has been accepted that deportation should not be pursued. This would incur a significantly disproportionate cost. The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency wrote a letter to the Home Affairs Committee on 20 November in which she provided an update on the deportation of foreign national criminals and gave the most robust statistical information available. A copy of this letter is available in the Library of the House.

Deportation: Complaints

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the investigation into the alleged mistreatment of Beatrice Guessi during the journey from Yarl's Wood detention centre to Cameroon on 28 August 2007 to be concluded; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 3 December 2007
	The investigation into the alleged mistreatment of Beatrice Guessi was referred by the Border and Immigration Agency to Hampshire Constabulary and is currently being investigated. If appropriate, the BIA investigation will continue once the outcome of the police investigation is known.

Deportation: Iran

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were deported to Iran in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The following table shows the number of people removed to Iran in each year since 2004. Information on the destination of persons removed from the UK has been collated only since the start of 2004.
	Information on the total number of persons removed between January and September 2007 is based on management information. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, should be treated as provisional and is subject to change.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	
		
			  Removals, voluntary departures and assisted returns( 1)  to Iran, January 2004 to September 2007( 2) 
			  Number of removals 
			   2004  2005  2006( 3)  January to September 2007( 3,4) 
			 Total removals to Iran 265 435 550 415 
			 (1 )Includes enforced removals, persons refused entry at port and subsequently removed (including cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls), persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organization for Migration and since January 2005 those who it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.  (2) Figures rounded to the nearest five.  (3) Provisional figures.  (4 )Figures for January to September 2007 are based on management information; this information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, should be treated as provisional and is subject to change.

Deportation: Iran

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the Government were unable to deport a person to Iran because they failed to co-operate with the obtaining of a travel document in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.

Deportation: Iraq

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals residing in Scotland were  (a) issued with deportation orders and  (b) subject to forced returns to Iraq in each month since January 2006.

Liam Byrne: Information on the region of residence at the time of removal or when a deportation order was issued is available only through the examination of individual records at disproportionate cost. The Chief Executive of the Border and Immigration Agency wrote a letter to the Home Affairs Committee on 20 November providing an up-date to information on the deportation of foreign nationals that have committed crimes within the UK. A copy of this letter is available in the Library of the House.

Deportation: Overseas Students

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons rejected for clearance to study proliferation-sensitive subjects under the voluntary vetting scheme were deported in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.

Detection Rates

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the clear-up rate for recorded offences in each police district in England and Wales was in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is given in the table.
	
		
			  Detection rates for all recorded crimes, by police force area from 1997 to 2006-07 
			   Percentage 
			   1997  1997-98( 1)  1998-99( 2)  1999-00( 3)  2000-01( 3)  2001-02  2002-03( 4,5)  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset 26 26 24 22 22 14 15 15 17 23 24 
			 Bedfordshire 35 35 33 25 27 25 26 23 28 25 22 
			 British Transport Police   15 16 17 20 24 
			 Cambridgeshire 27 28 29 25 24 22 22 23 23 27 25 
			 Cheshire 36 34 37 31 30 26 26 27 26 27 27 
			 Cleveland 25 23 23 22 21 20 23 21 24 30 31 
			 Cumbria 40 41 44 39 34 32 31 32 30 35 36 
			 Derbyshire 25 26 31 28 26 25 26 25 28 27 26 
			 Devon and Cornwall 32 34 36 35 34 32 29 29 30 28 27 
			 Dorset 29 30 31 26 25 27 25 26 28 30 30 
			 Durham 31 30 33 32 34 33 34 29 29 27 30 
			 Dyfed-Powys 61 62 69 65 63 64 68 47 43 45 45 
			 Essex 27 28 29 30 26 26 27 28 27 31 33 
			 Gloucestershire 24 26 31 31 31 30 29 28 27 32 33 
			 Greater Manchester 20 20 25 23 22 21 22 22 23 25 25 
			 Gwent 51 51 55 53 57 55 48 45 42 36 33 
			 Hampshire 30 30 35 32 29 29 30 27 28 24 23 
			 Hertfordshire 32 33 34 27 24 24 23 25 29 26 29 
			 Humberside 20 21 22 19 21 20 20 19 20 23 25 
			 Kent 31 31 34 33 28 28 28 25 23 26 26 
			 Lancashire 29 29 34 29 27 26 27 27 30 32 35 
			 Leicestershire 34 34 34 30 28 28 27 22 25 30 28 
			 Lincolnshire 48 46 40 28 25 27 23 22 25 26 28 
			 London, City of 26 28 33 32 27 34 36 33 36 43 39 
			 Merseyside 31 31 31 26 28 24 25 27 30 28 29 
			 Metropolitan Police 26 25 22 16 15 14 14 15 21 24 21 
			 Norfolk 37 36 37 30 26 25 24 26 28 31 30 
			 Northamptonshire 35 35 33 33 33 31 28 28 29 25 26 
			 Northumbria 26 26 30 31 31 31 31 30 29 35 40 
			 North Wales 34 36 43 36 31 28 29 33 42 43 48 
			 North Yorkshire 26 26 33 31 30 26 26 28 35 35 33 
			 Nottinghamshire 28 26 25 21 20 18 16 18 20 22 23 
			 South Wales 36 36 39 31 32 33 29 29 29 26 25 
			 South Yorkshire 29 32 32 25 25 23 21 24 26 27 26 
			 Staffordshire 35 34 32 22 23 24 31 33 35 35 35 
			 Suffolk 37 39 41 36 35 33 34 33 32 30 31 
			 Surrey 33 35 40 32 28 25 22 22 26 25 30 
			 Sussex 26 26 25 25 23 25 24 24 25 30 31 
			 Thames Valley 24 25 25 20 22 24 25 23 26 28 25 
			 Warwickshire 27 29 26 22 22 25 26 25 27 25 27 
			 West Mercia 28 27 34 29 27 28 33 31 34 34 34 
			 West Midlands 24 25 30 27 28 29 26 25 23 26 27 
			 West Yorkshire 27 27 27 25 23 19 20 20 25 28 29 
			 Wiltshire 32 32 38 33 30 30 28 28 29 32 26 
			 Total 28 28 29 25 24 23 23 23 26 27 27 
			 (1) The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the coverage and rules in use until 31 March 1998. (2) The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998. (3) Revised detections guidance was implemented on 1 April 1999. (4) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002. Figures before and after that date are not directly comparable. (5) Includes the British Transport Police from 2002-03 onwards.  Note:  The overall detection rate remained broadly stable between 2001-02 and 2003-04. It then rose to reach 27 per cent. in 2005-06 and 2006-07. However, the overall detection rate has been affected by forces limiting the usage of non-sanction detections i.e. where a crime is detected but no further action is taken for a variety of reasons.

Dyfed Powys Police: Resignations

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice was  (a) sought from and  (b) given by her Department in the case of the Dyfed-Powys police authority and the resignation of the chief constable of Dyfed-Powys police, Mr. Terence Grange.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 3 December 2007
	No advice was sought or given by the Home Office, but the position of the chief constable of Dyfed Powys was discussed as part of regular contact between the police authority and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.

Emergency Calls: Hoaxes and False Alarms

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of emergency calls to the police in 2006-07 were classified as prank calls.

Tony McNulty: Data on prank calls to emergency services is not collected centrally. This is a matter for the chief constable of each force.

Entry Clearances: EU Enlargement

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the consequences of European Court of Justice case C-16/05, 2007/C 269/09 on the application of restrictions on entry to Great Britain to nationals of EU applicant states.

Liam Byrne: The Secretary of State for the Home Department continues to assess the implications of this judgment in consultation with the Commission and other EU member states.

European Extradition Warrant

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many European extradition warrants have been served on British citizens in each of the 32 categories of crime covered by the warrants; how many British citizens have been extradited to each EU country under a European extradition warrant; how many British citizens extradited under a European extradition warrant have subsequently been found guilty; and how many extradition requests under the European extradition warrant have been refused by a British court;
	(2)  what the  (a) average,  (b) longest and  (c) shortest period is which has elapsed between the receipt in the UK of a European extradition warrant and it being served on the person covered by it.

Meg Hillier: holding answer s 12 and 13 November 2007
	The information which is available without disproportionate cost is as follows.
	Since 2004 there have been a total of 900 European arrest Warrant arrests. Of that number 151 were British nationals. There were 122 discharges at court. Of that number, 41 were for British nationals. There have been 533 surrenders. Of that number 64 were British nationals.
	The shortest time from certification of an EAW to arrest can be and has been on occasion a matter of hours.
	As far as the longest time from certification of an EAW to arrest is concerned, there are EAW warrants dating back to 2004 that are certified but where an arrest has not yet been made. This can be for a number of reasons including lack of intelligence on the location of the individual.

Foreign Workers: EU Countries

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the likely effects of the impending transition of Schengen area EU states including Poland, Slovakia and Hungary on the unskilled and semi-skilled sectors of the UK labour market.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 20 November 2007
	While expansion of the Schengen area may make migration within the Schengen area more attractive to migrants, diverting some who may have come to the UK, this is unlikely to have a big impact on the UK labour market. The Government will continue to monitor migration within Europe.
	The UK does not participate in the immigration aspects of the Schengen Acquis. Those travelling from the enlarged Schengen area will be subject to border controls should they wish to enter the UK, just as those travelling from the existing Schengen area do currently.

Genetics: Databases

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have provided a sample for the DNA database  (a) following arrest and  (b) voluntarily to eliminate themselves from suspicion of involvement in an offence.

Meg Hillier: There were an estimated 4,188,033 persons with a DNA profile retained on the national DNA database (NDNAD) on 31 October 2007. Of these, approximately 4,165,300 had provided a DNA sample following arrest and 22,700 had provided a sample voluntarily. These figures are for the whole NDNAD and cover persons sampled by police forces in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and by other UK forces such as the Channel Islands.
	Comparable data for forces in England and Wales are as follows.
	Approximately 3,916,500 persons with a DNA profile retained on the NDNAD had provided a sample following arrest by police forces in England and Wales; and 21,600 persons provided a sample voluntarily for forces in England and Wales. The number of persons on the database is approximately 13.7 per cent. fewer than the number of subject sample profiles. It is currently estimated that 13.7 per cent. of DNA profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates, i.e. that a profile for a person has been loaded on more than one occasion (one reason for this is that the person gave different names, or different versions of their name, on separate arrests). The presence of these replicate profiles on the NDNAD does not impact on the effectiveness and integrity of the database. Nonetheless, a long-term exercise is under way to identify issues associated with the removal of all such redundant replicate profiles.

Illegal Immigrants

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants were found at each of the main ports of entry to the United Kingdom in 2007.

Liam Byrne: Illegal entry action is initiated against those people who are detected having entered or attempted to enter the country clandestinely or by means of deception, either verbal or documentary. The following table represent those illegal entrants detected at ports of entry from 1 January 2007 to 30 November 2007.
	 [Official Report, 21 January 2008; Vol. 470, c. 13MC.]
	
		
			  Initiating port  Total 
			 Ashford 9 
			 Birmingham International Airport 2 
			 Brussels Control 2 
			 Calais Ferryport 3,199 
			 Calais Hoverport 1 
			 Cheriton 10 
			 Coquelles 721 
			 Dorset Ports Office 219 
			 Dover East Ports Office 4 
			 Dunkerque Ports Office 700 
			 Felixstowe 86 
			 Heathrow TN3 5 
			 Holyhead 1 
			 Number Ports 47 
			 Newcastle 1 
			 Newhaven 25 
			 North Shields 2 
			 Plymouth Ports Office 91 
			 Portsmouth Ports Office 21 
			 Ramsgate 2 
			 Tees Ports Office 5 
			 Tilbury Ports Office 14 
			 Grand total 5,167 
			  Note: The data provided is based on locally collated management information, which may be subject to change and does not represent published national statistics.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what procedures her Department investigates whether an employer is aware that an employee does not have the right to work in Britain.

Liam Byrne: All Border and Immigration Agency investigations into potential offences under section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 are undertaken in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the guidance in chapter 55 of the Border and Immigration Agency's Operational Enforcement Manual entitled Preventing illegal working, which is published on the Border and Immigration Agency website.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firms were  (a) charged and  (b) convicted for employing illegal workers in 2006 in (i) England and Wales and (ii) the West Midlands.

Liam Byrne: Information is not available on the number of employers charged for employing a person subject to immigration control; however, information on those proceeded against is available.
	Eleven defendants were proceeded against under section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 for employing a person aged 16 and above subject to immigration control in England and Wales in 2006; of these, seven were found guilty.
	One defendant was proceeded against under section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 in the West Midlands police area in 2006; this person was found guilty.
	We took steps in 2004 to make the section 8 offence easier to enforce and prosecution activity has increased subsequently. We are committed to bringing forward the implementation of measures contained in the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 to tackle illegal migrant working, which will provide the Border and Immigration Agency with a wider and more effective range of tools with which to tackle non-compliance. The 2006 Act introduces a system of civil penalties for employers who employ illegal migrants through less than diligent practices, alongside a tough new offence for those who knowingly employ illegal migrants, which will carry a maximum two-year prison sentence and/or an unlimited fine. These new measures will come into force on 29 February 2008.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Immigration Controls

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her plans are for changing the resident labour market test under the points-based system; and what definition there will be of employment which will be removed from the requirements of the test.

Liam Byrne: We have not finalised details of how the resident labour market test will work under tier 2 of the points-based system. We are discussing the operation of the test with employer representatives and others, and will publish details of the test in a statement of intent next year.

Immigration: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in the London Borough of Bexley are awaiting a decision on applications for leave to remain in the UK.

Liam Byrne: The information requested could be obtained in the format required by the detailed examination of individual records only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration: Children

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to help children  (a) who are HIV positive,  (b) who have malaria and  (c) who have tuberculosis and are living in immigration removal centres; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Appropriate treatment is provided to all those who enter immigration removal centres with medical problems and they must have available to them the same range and quality of services as the general public receives from the national health service.
	For example, the Healthcare Steering Group, which was set up by immigration removal centre doctors, has issued guidance on how HIV/AIDS patients should be managed and this makes clear that those concerned must be treated in the same way as any other member of the community. The same is true for those who may have malaria or tuberculosis.
	We take seriously our responsibility for meeting the health needs of those held in detention. This can be further evidenced through our taking into account the need, in relevant cases, for detainees to be offered malaria prophylaxis before returning to a malaria area.
	Individuals who are being removed from the United Kingdom are, where appropriate, provided with sufficient medication until such time as they are able to have access to their own country's health care services. This position applies to adults and children.

Immigration: Hillingdon

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the London Borough of Hillingdon on removing asylum seekers who have exhausted all appeals.

Liam Byrne: Engagement with partners and stakeholders is key to delivering our business. Border and Immigration Agency staff at various levels are engaging with the London borough of Hillingdon on a regular basis.

Members: Correspondence

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to reply to  (a) the letter to her predecessor of 29 March 2007, from the hon. Member for Woking regarding Mr. Evans N7737/7 (148492) and  (b) the question tabled by the hon. Member for Woking on 4 July 2007 on the same subject.

Liam Byrne: I wrote to the hon. Member on 6 December 2007.

Metropolitan Police: Complaints

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used in directing complaints relating to the handling of cases by the Metropolitan police to  (a) the Metropolitan Police Directorate of Professional Standards and  (b) the Independent Police Complaints Commission; what the outcome has been of the handling of the complaint of Bilan and Hussein Mohamud in relation to the conduct of Kentish Town police station officers; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Metropolitan police direct all public complaints to their Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS). Under Schedule 3 of the Police Reform Act 2002, the Metropolitan policeand all other police forces in England and Walesmust refer to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) specific complaints or incidents that could damage public confidence in the police. The police and the IPCC have a set of criteria for this process, and those criteria identify the following matters as Mandatory Referrals:
	Where direct or indirect contact with the police may have caused or contributed to a person's death or serious injury;
	Where a member of the police service is alleged to have committed a serious assault or serious sexual assault;
	Where a member of the police service is alleged to have committed an offence that could attract a prison sentence of seven years or more;
	Where a member of the police service is alleged to have committed a criminal offence / behaviour aggravated by discrimination;
	Serious corruption.
	Discretionary referrals, outside of the categories above, can also be made to the IPCC if it is desirable to do so in the public interest. Discretionary referral of conduct matters to the IPCC may be done only with the authority of a DPS officer of the rank of Detective Superintendent or above. The IPCC, which has guardianship of the police complaints system, also has the power to call in an investigation where circumstances justify their involvement.
	Bilan and Hussein Mohamud made a number of complaints to the Metropolitan police in December 2005, which were investigated by the DPS; the outcome of that investigation was that all matters were found to be un-substantiated. This was conveyed to the solicitors for Mr. and Mrs. Mohamud in January 2007.

National Asylum Support Service and the Border and Immigration Agency

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people entered National Asylum Support Service and Border and Immigration Agency-supported accommodation in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne in each quarter of  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007; and how many left such accommodation on resolution of their cases in each of those periods.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 6 December 2007
	The information requested could be obtained by the detailed examination of individual case records, only at disproportionate cost.

National Asylum Support Service: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford,  (b) the London borough of Bexley and  (c) Greater London received support from the National Asylum Support Service in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The following table shows the number of asylum seekers recorded as receiving asylum support in Bexleyheath and Crayford, the London borough of Bexley and Greater London as at the end of each year for the last five years.
	The numbers of asylum seekers in receipt of support, broken down by Government office region and local authority, are published on a quarterly and annual basis. Copies of these publications are available on the Home Office research, development and statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	Further breakdowns of those in receipt of support, by parliamentary constituency, are also available from the Library of the House.
	
		
			  As at end of December( 1)  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  Bexleyheath and Crayford  
			 Subsistence only(2) n/a 15 10 10 15 
			 Dispersed n/a 0 5 0 0 
			 Total n/a 15 15 10 15 
			   
			  Bexley  
			 Subsistence only(2) 105 80 70 60 55 
			 Dispersed 10 5 10 5 5 
			 Total 115 85 80 65 60 
			   
			  Greater London  
			 Subsistence only(2) 28,560 22,025 14,505 10,000 8,110 
			 Dispersed 2,605 2,900 1,455 1,300 1,370 
			 Total 31,165 24,925 15,960 11,300 9,480 
			 n/a = not available (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest five. (2) Asylum seekers do not necessarily reside in the area where they are recorded as receiving subsistence support.

Passports: Fraud

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were arrested in each of the last 18 months in relation to false passport offences attempting to  (a) enter and  (b) exit the United Kingdom.

Liam Byrne: During the period 1 April 2006 until 30 October 2007, a total of 1,949 persons were arrested by the Border Control Criminal Investigation Teams for a range of offences. Within the same period, 930 persons were convicted or cautioned in relation to false passport or identity offences.
	Of these, 619 were convicted or cautioned under section 25 of the Identity Cards Act 2006 and 311 were convicted or cautioned under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981.
	It is not possible to differentiate between those entering and exiting the country, as records are maintained only of the offences dealt with. Note also that these figures include persons detected by these criminal investigation teams at other stages, such as making applications to the Home Office.
	A monthly breakdown of figures is not available from April 2006 to March 2007, however during this period, a total of 1,321 persons were arrested with 611 persons convicted or cautioned in relation to false passport or identity offences.
	A monthly breakdown of convictions or cautions for these offences for each subsequent month, this financial period, is available in the table.
	It should be noted that the figures provided relate only to prosecutions undertaken by the Border and Immigration Agency Border Control Criminal Investigation Teams. The data provided is based on locally collated management information, which may be subject to change and does not represent published national statistics.
	
		
			  2007  Section 3, Forgery and Counterfeiting Act  Section 25, Identity Cards Act 
			 April 5 53 
			 May  53 
			 June  45 
			 July  45 
			 August  43 
			 September  47 
			 October  28

Passports: Lost Property

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK passports were reported as having been lost in each of the last five years.

Meg Hillier: The Identity and Passport Service processed the following reports of lost passports in each of the past five calendar years:
	2002: 166,358 combined total including Stolen and Other;
	2003:184, 301 combined total including Stolen and Other;
	2004: 275,040; Lost 212,745
	2005: 286,988; Lost 230,011
	2006: 290,996; Lost 237,879
	2007: 270,266; Lost 224,873.
	The figures for calendar year 2007 are up to 6 November 2007.

Police Patrolling

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the average amount of time police officers in the Essex central area spent on street patrols in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: 64.8 per cent. of police officer time in Essex was spent on front-line policing in 2006-07. The existing definition of time spent on patrol excludes other front-line activity. Time spent on patrol refers only to time when an officer is patrolling but engaged in no other duty. Any activity (such as advice to a member of the public or responding to antisocial behaviour) carried out while on patrol is recorded separately. This figure therefore provides a more rounded picture of front-line activity by police officers.

Police: Bureaucracy

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time was spent on patrol by police officers in  (a) England,  (b) London and  (c) each London borough in each year since 1997; and what proportion of police officers' working hours those figures represent in each case.

Tony McNulty: Information on time spent on patrol by police officers has been collected only since 2003-04 and is set out in the following table, for England and for the Metropolitan Police. The Home Office does not collect data for individual boroughs.
	Time spent on patrol refers only to time when an officer is patrolling but engaged in no other duty. It is inappropriate to look at this element in isolation from other activities.
	The front-line policing measure provides a fuller picture of police officer activity because it assesses time spent by police officers on core policing duties such as patrol, responding to 999 calls, as well as activities of CID and specialist officers.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Percentage patrol  Percentage FLP 
			   England  Metropolitan Police  England  Metropolitan Police 
			 2006-07 13.5 12.8 64.3 61.7 
			 2005-06 14.4 12.9 63.7 61.9 
			 2004-05 15.3 13.4 62.2 62.4 
			 2003-04 14.2 13.7 62.1 65.0

Police: Bureaucracy

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of time on average  (a) all police officers and  (b) patrol officers spent on (i) incident-related paperwork, (ii) non-incident-related paperwork, (iii) all paperwork and (iv) patrol in each year since 2001.

Tony McNulty: Information on time spent on patrol and paperwork by police officers has only been collected since 2003-04 and information for England and Wales is set out in the following tables. Table A contains data for all officers and table B for patrol officers.
	Time spent on patrol refers only to time when an officer is patrolling but engaged in no other duty. It is therefore inappropriate to look at this element in isolation from other activities. The front-line policing measure provides a fuller picture of police officer activity because it assesses time spent by police officers on core policing duties such as patrol, responding to 999 calls, as well as activities of CID and specialist officers.
	
		
			  Table A: All officers 
			   Percentage 
			  Year( 1)  Time spent on incident- related paperwork  Time spent on  non incident-  related paperwork  Total time spent on paperwork  Time spent on patro l( 2)  Frontline policing measure( 3) 
			 2003-04 10.3 9.8 20.1 14.2 62.1 
			 2004-05 9.9 8.5 18.4 15.3 62.6 
			 2005-06 10.8 8.5 19.3 14.0 63.1 
			 2006-07 11.4 8.5 19.7 13.6 64.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Patrol officers 
			   Percentage 
			  Year( 1)  Time spent on incident- related paperwork  Time spent on non incident- related paperwork  Total time spent on paperwork  Time spent on patrol 
			 2003-04 8.8 10.0 18.8 18.0 
			 2004-05 8.1 8.3 16.4 19.1 
			 2005-06 8.6 7.9 16.5 17.3 
			 2006-07 9.2 7.9 17.1 17.1 
			 (1) Data was not collected before 2003. The information is taken from activity analysis, which is collected by all forces over a two-week period in each year and provides a snapshot of how officers are deployed. (2) Includes officers on foot/car/beat patrol, CID and traffic officers. (3) Data was not collected before 2003.

Police: Bureaucracy

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce the time spent by police officers on paperwork and administrative tasks; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The time spent by police officers on paperwork and other administrative duties remains an inevitable, but often necessary part of the process of protecting the public. We are, however, taking measures to reduce the time spent on these activities in order to increase the time police officers are able to spend on front line duties. These measures include: improving custody management working practices and processes; streamlining and providing greater local flexibility over performance management requirements; and providing a new 50 million capital fund to support wider access to time and paperwork saving innovative electronic fingerprinting and mobile data technologies.
	Reducing bureaucracy is one of the four key strands in Sir Ronnie Flanagan's review of policing. There were 13 recommendations on this area alone in his interim report published in September this year.

Police: Early Retirement

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines are issued to police authorities on applications for early retirement by senior police officers under investigation.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 3 December 2007
	All police officers are entitled to retire after 25 years service (and on full pension after 30 years) unless they are suspended from duty as a result of an investigation into their conduct, when they can retire before the procedures have been concluded only with the agreement of the chief officer or the relevant police authority depending on their rank. The provisions relating to this are contained in regulation 14 and the determination at annex D of the Police Regulations 2003. Guidance, which is available to police forces and police authorities, is contained in the Home Office Guidance on Police Unsatisfactory Performance, Complaints and Misconduct Procedures; there is further clarification of the provisions relating to retirement by officers under investigation/suspension in Home Office circulars 55/2003 and 8/2005, which are available on the Home Office website.

Police: Emergency Calls

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken to respond to an emergency telephone call by police was in  (a) England,  (b) London and  (c) each London borough in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: This information is not collected centrally.

Police: Emergency Calls

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what average police emergency response times were in Hampshire for each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for the Chief Constable of Hampshire constabulary.

Police: Firearms

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Operation Kratos remains in force.

Tony McNulty: Specialised operational tactics to deal with the threat of a deadly attack are operational matters for the police. The Association of Chief Police Officers published its review of the police response to the threat of suicide terrorism on 7 March 2006, which concluded that tactics to deal with the threat of suicide terrorism remained fit for purpose.
	All police use of firearms is subject to the usual law on the use of force. The Criminal Law Act 1967 provides that the police may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances to effect an arrest or to prevent crime. The law applies to the operational tactics developed by police to deal with suspected suicide bombers as it does in any other case.

Police: Firearms

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many armed police officers served each London borough in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: Information on the number of armed police officers is not collected by the Home Office. Information on authorised firearms officers is collected at police force area level, and the latest published figures show that on 31 March 2006 there were 2,331 AFOs in the Metropolitan police and 86 in the City of London police.

Police: Hillingdon

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers and  (b) police community support officers there were in the London borough of Hillingdon in each year since 1997 for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: Police officer figures for Hillingdon have been collected centrally since 2003, and police community support officer figures since 2005. They are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of police officers and police community support officers in the London borough of Hillingdon: 2003-07 
			  31 March  each year  Police officers (FTE)( 1)  Police community support officers (FTE)( 1) 
			 2003 458  
			 2004 484  
			 2005 498 (2)56 
			 2006 506 (2)56 
			 2007 495 84 
			 (1) All figures are full time equivalents (FTE) rounded to the nearest whole number. (2) Figures relate to 30 June, and are from an ad hoc collection. These figures may not be directly comparable to the others in the table.

Police: Information and Communications Technology

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent since 1997 on information technology for police forces in Britain; and what UK computer networks exist to ensure that forces are aware of previous criminal activity of people they are investigating.

Tony McNulty: It is not possible to provide the total expenditure on police Information Technology systems since 1997 as this information is not held centrally.
	Police forces use a variety of national computer systems linked to their own networks, to identify individuals that may have been involved in previous criminal activity and to assist their investigations. These comprise:
	The Police National Computer (PNC)
	IMPACT Nominal Index (INI)
	National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IDENT1)
	The Violent and Sex Offender Register (ViSOR)
	The National Video Identification Database
	In addition, police forces can access the National DNA Database, although this is not a database which holds information on previous criminal convictions.

Police: Manpower

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in England and Wales were in post on the most recent date for which figures are available, broken down by rank; and how many in each rank were  (a) black and  (b) Asian.

Tony McNulty: The most recent date for which figures are available is 31 March 2007; these data are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Police officer strength (full-time equivalent) in England and Wales, as at 31 March 2007 
			  Police ranks  Total all police officers  Total Black or Black British  Total Asian or Asian British 
			 ACPO(1) 206 1 4 
			 Chief Superintendent 469 3 6 
			 Superintendent 987 8 10 
			 Chief inspector 1,848 10 18 
			 Inspector 7,034 35 72 
			 Sergeant 21,949 179 235 
			 Constable 109,399 1,113 1,766 
			 Total all ranks 141,892 1,349 2,111 
			 (1) ACPO refers to the Association of Chief Police Officers.   Note: This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number.

Police: Manpower

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers,  (b) police community support officers and  (c) police ancillary staff were employed in each London borough in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The requested information has been collected centrally at London borough level since 2003 only. It is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number of police officers, police community support officers and police staff by London borough: 2003-07( 1) , as at 31 March each year 
			   Table A: Police officers (FTE)( 1) 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Barking and Dagenham 360 384 419 426 427 
			 Barnet 522 541 561 554 551 
			 Bexley 315 338 383 361 371 
			 Brent 619 683 679 667 672 
			 Bromley 417 459 489 484 493 
			 Camden 719 794 850 854 812 
			 City of Westminster 1,565 1,637 1,617 1,572 1,561 
			 Croydon 624 659 692 694 684 
			 Ealing 652 697 686 673 681 
			 Enfield 490 538 575 560 582 
			 Greenwich 604 583 605 615 632 
			 Hackney 673 766 789 767 744 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 513 516 526 553 562 
			 Haringey 633 682 683 717 689 
			 Harrow 302 333 342 347 354 
			 Havering 340 343 383 380 383 
			 Hillingdon 458 484 498 506 495 
			 Hounslow 467 472 510 501 519 
			 Islington 623 680 683 685 678 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 528 575 562 574 568 
			 Kingston upon Thames 272 275 298 307 294 
			 Lambeth 968 941 984 994 953 
			 Lewisham 571 625 646 649 619 
			 Merton 304 339 352 353 377 
			 Newham 692 781 782 781 758 
			 Redbridge 393 440 459 471 467 
			 Richmond upon Thames 284 285 287 294 303 
			 Southwark 838 869 891 873 846 
			 Sutton 266 280 291 307 306 
			 Tower Hamlets 686 760 761 775 756 
			 Waltham Forest 486 533 546 556 543 
			 Wandsworth 557 612 582 607 599 
			   
			 City of London 434 445 438 438 412 
		
	
	
		
			   Table B: Police community support officers (FTE)( 1,)( )( 2) 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Barking and Dagenham 78 
			 Barnet 144 
			 Bexley 87 
			 Brent 83 
			 Bromley 131 
			 Camden 64 
			 City of Westminster 335 
			 Croydon 149 
			 Ealing 107 
			 Enfield 119 
			 Greenwich 102 
			 Hackney 66 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 74 
			 Haringey 78 
			 Harrow 82 
			 Havering 83 
			 Hillingdon 84 
			 Hounslow 89 
			 Islington 54 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 105 
			 Kingston upon Thames 60 
			 Lambeth 119 
			 Lewisham 74 
			 Merton 76 
			 Newham 105 
			 Redbridge 95 
			 Richmond upon Thames 69 
			 Southwark 75 
			 Sutton 71 
			 Tower Hamlets 86 
			 Waltham Forest 76 
			 Wandsworth 88 
			   
			 City of London 36 
		
	
	
		
			   Table C: Police staff (FTE)( 1,)( )( 3) 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Barking and Dagenham 83 85 119 130 83 
			 Barnet 156 152 176 171 121 
			 Bexley 76 98 150 165 114 
			 Brent 151 155 165 172 131 
			 Bromley 114 106 139 149 94 
			 Camden 193 197 248 265 204 
			 City of Westminster 536 518 579 617 348 
			 Croydon 193 169 199 203 164 
			 Ealing 156 168 215 181 133 
			 Enfield 122 136 150 158 117 
			 Greenwich 149 135 155 172 122 
			 Hackney 161 164 196 204 153 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 144 115 143 151 118 
			 Haringey 164 177 195 187 145 
			 Harrow 77 82 98 108 83 
			 Havering 93 106 120 128 83 
			 Hillingdon 105 111 149 145 98 
			 Hounslow 114 128 154 135 105 
			 Islington 136 129 120 131 77 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 133 146 188 224 126 
			 Kingston upon Thames 68 68 87 104 68 
			 Lambeth 253 250 273 272 205 
			 Lewisham 168 131 170 188 136 
			 Merton 79 75 105 105 84 
			 Newham 171 156 208 226 148 
			 Redbridge 116 106 144 152 100 
			 Richmond upon Thames 77 92 114 116 83 
			 Southwark 223 214 233 244 194 
			 Sutton 88 78 105 125 80 
			 Tower Hamlets 161 170 218 250 152 
			 Waltham Forest 131 124 148 157 114 
			 Wandsworth 168 149 177 179 129 
			   
			 City of London 46 48 67 64 44 
			 (1) All figures are full time equivalents (FTE) rounded to the nearest whole number. (2) PCSO figures included in all police staff totals for 2003-06, as separate figures below police force area collected centrally from 2007 only. (3) 'All police staff' figures include designated officers, police staff and traffic wardens for the whole period. Also includes PCSOs up to and including 31 March 2006. Figures for 31 March 2007 exclude PCSOs, as they are listed separately in table B above.

Police: Manpower

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of police officers were  (a) men,  (b) women,  (c) black and minority ethnic (BME) men and  (d) BME women in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: The requested data are published annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series Police Service Strength, England and Wales which are available online and in the Library of the House.
	The available data are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Proportion( 1)  of police officers by gender and ethnicity( 2)  as at 31 March 1998 to 2007 
			  Percentage 
			 Minority ethnic 
			  31 March  each year  Male  Female  Male  Female 
			 1998 84.3 15.7 1.6 0.4 
			 1999 83.9 16.1 1.6 0.4 
			 2000 83.5 16.5 1.8 0.5 
			 2001 82.8 17.2 1.9 0.5 
			 2002 82.1 17.9 2.1 0.5 
			 2003 81.0 19.0 2.3 0.6 
			 2004 79.8 20.2 2.6 0.7 
			 2005 78.8 21.2 2.8 0.8 
			 2006 77.7 22.3 2.9 0.8 
			 2007 76.7 23.3 3.0 0.9 
			 (1) Based on full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between the totals and the sums of constituent items. (2) Minority ethnic officers only, does not include those officers whose ethnicity is listed as not stated.

Police: Racial Violence

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of religious hate crime against police officers were recorded in each police force area in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not available centrally. The Home Office collects statistics on the number of recorded offences of racially or religiously aggravated offences but details regarding the victim are not collected.

Police: Vehicles

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make an assessment of the use of upright electronic personal transporter vehicles by police forces in other countries.

Tony McNulty: We have no current plans to do so.

Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will implement the findings of the Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission and remove the proscription from the Peoples' Mujahadeen Organisation of Iran.

Tony McNulty: As we have already made clear, we are disappointed with the judgment handed down by the Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission on 30 November, and will be appealing. No action will be taken to remove the Peoples' Mujahadeen Organisation of Iran from the proscribed list in the interim.

Railways

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by her Department on first class train tickets in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: The Department's accounting system does not separately identify expenditure on first class and standard class train travel. Such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department expects all official travel to be carried out by the most efficient and economic means available, taking into account the cost of travel and subsistence, savings in official time, management benefit, and the needs of staff with disabilities. This is in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.
	The Cabinet Office produces the annual list of Cabinet Ministers Overseas Travel, and the one for 2006-07 was published on 25 July 2007.

Terrorism

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on the role of  (a) Europol and  (b) other EU institutions in the Bureau de Liaison network for EU-wide information-sharing on terrorist incidents.

Tony McNulty: Europol has a role to play in combating terrorism across the EU by providing support to the European law enforcement community through their research and analysis capability. By member states providing information to Europol on terrorist incidents, member states can assist that organisation to analyse and identify trends and possible terrorist threats within the EU. It also enables Europol to provide alerts to the law enforcement agencies throughout Europe.
	The provision of terrorist incident data to Europol by the law enforcement community also allows them through their analysis of all data they receive, to identify any association or connection between a terrorist suspect and other possible suspects based elsewhere in Europe. Again, Europol must advise national law enforcement of any cross-match identifications.
	The Government remain clear that only UK counter-terrorism agencies have an operational and investigative remit but the UK's overall counter-terrorism capacity is strengthened by our close collaboration with international partners including Europol.
	The Bureau de Liaison network is a stable and reliable means of exchange of information. All member states, as well as the General Secretariat, Commission and Europol are linked to the liaison office network.

Terrorism: Detainees

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research she has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on periods of detention without charge in relation to counter-terrorism in other EU member states.

Tony McNulty: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs published a document entitled Counter-Terrorism Legislation and Practice: A Survey of Selected Countries in October 2005. This can be found at:
	www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/QSpercent20Draftpercent2010percent20FINAL1.pdf
	We remain informed on the counter-terrorism legislative systems of other European Union countries.

Terrorism: Expenditure

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on combating terrorism in the UK in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 20 November 2007
	Details of the Home Office's spending on counter-terrorism and intelligence in each of the last five years are set out in Chapter 5 of the 2007 Departmental Report, which can be found on the Home Office website at the following address:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/ho-annual-report-07?version=1
	Further information on total Government spending on counter-terrorism is not held by the Home Office.

Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many social workers are working at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre; how many days they spend a week at the centre; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: There are two social workers, employed by Bedford county council, who work mainly at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre. They work core office hours from Monday to Friday, spending the majority of their time at the centre.

Young People

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff aged between 16 and 18 were employed by her Department  (a) directly and  (b) through an employment agency in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of these were given time off work to undertake some form of training; and what proportion were provided with some form of training (i) wholly and (ii) partially funded by her Department.

Liam Byrne: We are unable to provide data before April 2004 without incurring a disproportionate cost. This is due to a change in the databases used to store and collect staff data in 2004; data before this period are held on the old system.
	The following tables show the number of staff aged 16 to 18 that were recruited either directly or through an agency by the Home Office and the Border and Immigration Agency since 31 March 2005.
	
		
			  1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 
			  Number 
			   Age  16  Age  17  Age  18 
			 BIA Permanent 0 0 0 
			 BIA Agency 0 0 0 
			 HO Permanent 0 1 5 
			 HO Agency 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 
			  Number 
			   Age  16  Age  17  Age  18 
			 BIA Permanent 0 0 7 
			 BIA Agency 0 0 12 
			 HO Permanent 1 1 4 
			 HO Agency 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  1 April 2005 to 31 March 2007 
			  Number 
			   Age  16  Age  17  Age  18 
			 BIA Permanent 0 22 41 
			 BIA Agency 0 5 31 
			 HO Permanent 0 2 1 
			 HO Agency 0 0 0 
		
	
	The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) is unable to provide information on how many staff it employs aged between 16 and 18 years, directly or through recruitment agencies in each of the last 10 years as the personnel management system is inaccessible due to updating during the target period for this question and the records are not held manually.
	The Criminal Records Bureau has been in existence only since 2002. Its records show that it has not employed anyone between the ages of 16 and 18.
	In answer to the second part of the question regarding training it is not possible to supply data without incurring a disproportionate cost.
	We do not routinely invest in training temporary staff beyond the basic need for the post for which they are recruited.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Central Office of Information: Publications

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Cabinet Office first published the Central Office of Information's White Book; when publication of the next edition is planned; and for what reasons the Trades Union Congress is listed in the current edition.

Edward Miliband: The White Book was first published in 1978. The next edition will be published in February 2008.
	The White Book contains details of a wide range of information contacts in Government Departments and in many other bodies with which Government deals, including organisations such as the CBI, the BBC and Ofcom. The Trades Union Congress is included as a body that comes under this broad category and has been listed since 1994.

Data Protection

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps have been taken to establish dark tunnel transfer of sensitive data between Government Departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Gillian Merron: Government Departments and a number of their agencies and non-departmental public bodies have access to the Government Secure Intranet (Gsi); x-Gsi and the Intelligence Management Network for electronic communication among themselves.

Iraq Conflict

Keith Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many studies by the Cabinet Office have been  (a) started and  (b) completed into the Iraq war and lessons learnt; and if he will place copies of each in the Library.

Edward Miliband: This is a matter for the Ministry of Defence. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 480W, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

Millennium Volunteers Programme

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2007,  Official Report, column 849W, on the Millennium Volunteers programme, which of the first 18 organisations listed  (a) did not make an application and  (b) were unsuccessful at the expression of interest stage.

Phil Hope: The organisations that did not submit an application are:
	1. Barnsley metropolitan borough council
	2. Doncaster metropolitan borough council
	3. Family Education Development Trust
	4. Leeds college of technology
	5. Nottingham city council
	6. Youth Voice
	7. Hackney Voluntary Action
	The following organisations were unsuccessful in applying for funding at expression of interest stage:
	8. CEDAR Projects
	9. Dearne Valley Venture
	10. Henshaws Society for Blind People
	11. Read on Write Away
	12. Sports Volunteering North West
	13. Stoke on Trent college
	14. Student Community Action Newcastle (SCAN)
	15. Studentforce for Sustainability
	16.Torridge Voluntary Services
	17.Wandsworth Voluntary Sector Development Agency
	18.Wycombe Youth Action

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Licensing Act: Town Centres

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of the Licensing Act 2003 on town centres.

James Purnell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier.

Licensing Act: Town Centres

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of the Licensing Act 2003 on town centres.

James Purnell: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier.

Access to the Arts

Christine Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to improve access for young people to arts and culture.

James Purnell: We are committed to giving young people access to high quality cultural activities.
	We continue to make significant investment in this area. For example, the Government recently announced a total investment of 332 million in school music over the next three years.
	Building on this, in the forthcoming Children's Plan we will set out the steps we will take to give all young people access to five hours of culture a week, in and out of the curriculum.

Licensing Act 2003

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effects of the Licensing Act 2003.

James Purnell: As the Prime Minister reiterated in July, we are monitoring and reviewing the impact of the Act and have been since it came into force. We expect to complete an evaluation of the impact of the Act in the new year.

Gambling

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the effects of internet gaming on problem gambling.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007 found that 6 per cent. of the adult population has used the internet to gamble in the last year and the total level of problem gambling remains at 0.6 per cent. The Gambling Commission is commissioning further analysis of these findings. I have also asked it to undertake a review of the level of funding and structures for problem gambling research, education and treatment.

Seaside Towns

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on Government policy on heritage and regeneration in seaside towns.

Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced a new funding programme for coastal resorts last week.
	This will see 45 million of investment over three years to help regeneration through heritage and culture.

Commonwealth Games: Glasgow

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support he will provide for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We are committed to working with the organising company and the Scottish Executive to ensure a successful Commonwealth games in 2014. The UK Government have already provided a number of guarantees to the bid team including agreement in principle to a ban on unauthorised ticket resale for the games to extend to England and Wales.
	The Secretary of State has also proposed a regular quadripartite meeting between representatives of the UK Government and the bid partners with a view to determining how the UK Government can offer support to the Glasgow games in reserved policy areas included in the bid document.

Live Music

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effects of the Licensing Act 2003 on the performance of live music.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department established the Live Music Forum in 2004 to assess, among other things, the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on the performance of live music. In its report and recommendations, published in July 2007, the forum concluded that the impact of the Act had been broadly neutral. The results of the second stage of our own research study into the current provision of live music will be published on the Department's website later this month.

Community Regeneration

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with Sport England on the contribution of sport to community regeneration; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have had no specific discussions with Sport England on this subject.
	However I have recently discussed with them how they will develop a new strategy to become more focused on building a world class community sports infrastructure through excellent clubs, coaches and volunteers for all.
	Sport is a key player in a number of areas of community social regeneration. Sports projects can have a significant impact by breaking down barriers and providing positive opportunities for people to mix with others. Sport can also help reduce crime and antisocial behaviour; and increase peoples' levels of trust and community involvement.

Mountaineering

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial and other support his Department provides to British mountaineering.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Between 2005-08, Sport England will have invested almost 635,000 of Lottery and Exchequer funding in the British Mountaineering Council, the national governing body for mountaineering.
	In addition, Sport England provides over 1 million per annum towards the Plas-y-Brenin National Mountain Centre in Wales, one of its five national sports centres across the UK; and over 20,000 per annum to the British Mountaineering Council as a management fee for the operation of Harrisons Rocks in Kent.
	UK Sport has also given over 145,000 in funding to British mountaineering during 2005-08 to contribute to expeditions and the Mountain Leaders Training UK.

Video Games

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will review the classification system of video games with a view to bringing forward proposals for its improvement.

Margaret Hodge: Dr. Tanya Byron is currently conducting a review into children's access to potentially harmful or inappropriate content on the internet and in video games.
	This review will assess the effectiveness and adequacy of existing measures in place and make recommendations for improvements or additional action.
	Consideration of any need to review the existing classification system will await Dr. Byron's recommendations, which are expected in March next year. We would not want to prejudge those recommendations.

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Ministers from his Department attended the cross-Government working group on anti-Semitism on 11 October; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No Ministers attended the meeting on 11 October 2007.

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many officials from his Department attended the cross-government working group on anti-Semitism on 11 October, broken down by grade; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department contributed fully to consideration of the recommendations of the All-Party Inquiry into Anti-Semitism, including attendance by one official at one of the two meetings of the officials' working group convened to consider the Government's response, which was published on 29 March 2007 (Cm 7059). No officials attended the meeting on 11 October 2007.

Arts: Finance

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to his answer to the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt) of 23 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 204-06W, on arts: finance, how the total figures allocated for spending on  (a) the arts and  (b) heritage by his Department are calculated.

Margaret Hodge: The figures provided in answer to the hon. Member for South-West Surrey's (Mr. Hunt) parliamentary question were extracted from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Audited Appropriation Accounts and Resource Accounts for the years in question. Using the Voted Parliamentary Estimate lines we consolidated the data under the specific headings and then adjusted them to 2007-08 prices using the GDP deflators provided by HM Treasury.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of posts in his Department were recategorised from back office to frontline posts as classified by the Gershon efficiency review in each year since 2004.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DCMS is committed to achieving work force reductions of 27 posts by the end of 2007-08. This is a net target and no posts will be reallocated to the frontline as part of it.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining his Department's and its agencies' corporate identity; and what the estimated annual cost is of  (a) producing and  (b) complying with such guidelines.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DCMS does not produce new editions of its guidelines annually so there are no such costs.
	The Department has 0.5 full-time equivalent staff responsible for brand management and marketing at an annual cost of 13,000.
	The Department will deposit a copy of its guidelines in the Library.

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the standard terms and conditions of purchase used by his Department in procurement of goods and services from the private sector prohibit the assignment of debt.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The DCMS when using standard terms and conditions in the procurement of goods and services from the private sector includes a standard clause that prohibits the assignment of debt.

Departmental Reviews

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what  (a) reviews,  (b) consultations and  (c) taskforces his Department is (i) responsible for and (ii) scheduled to undertake; on what date each (A) started and (B) is expected to be completed; and what the purpose is of each.

Margaret Hodge: Details of current and scheduled consultations, reviews and taskforces in my Department are summarised in the following table.
	
		
			  Name  Type (review, taskforce, consultation)  Start date  Scheduled completion  Purpose 
			  Current 
			 Consultation on draft regulations for museums on the publication of information about cultural objects on loan under part 6 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 Consultation 21 September 2007 21 December 2007 To invite comments on the content of draft regulations for museums on the publication of information about cultural objects they intend to borrow from abroad for temporary exhibitions and which will be immune from seizure under part 6 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. The consultation also invites views on how far in advance museums should be required to publish the information 
			  
			 Consultation on proposal to introduce a simplified process for minor variations to premises licences and club premises certificates Consultation 28 November 2007 20 February 2008 To reduce the administrative burden on applicants for making small alterations to premises licences or club premises certificates under the Licensing Act 2003, where those changes will have no impact on the statutory licensing objectives. This is expected to result in cost savings to licence holders of 1.5 - 2.8 million 
			 . 
			 Byron Review Review reporting jointly to DCMS and the Department for Children, Schools and Families September 2007 March 2008 The aim of the review is to assess the risk to children of exposure to harmful or inappropriate material online and in video games, to assess existing measures of protection and explore what changes or additional actions should be taken 
			  
			 McMaster Review of Excellence in the Arts Review August 2007 December 2007 To consider: 
			 How the system of public sector support for the arts can encourage excellence, risk taking and innovation 
			 How artistic excellence can encourage wider and deeper engagement with the arts by audiences 
			 How to establish a light touch and non-bureaucratic method to judge the quality of the arts in the future 
			  
			 Sport England Review Review 28 November 2007 End December 2007 To review how Sport England will deliver a world-class sporting infrastructure of excellent sports clubs, coaches and volunteers to sustain and increase participation and develop people's talent 
			 . 
			 Regional Work of Public Bodies Review 12 November 2007 Mid-January 2008 To highlight areas for collaborative working, and identify opportunities for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the regional presence 
			  
			 World Heritage Review Review March 2007 March 2008 To determine our future approach to identifying, protecting, managing and promoting World Heritage Sites in the UK, its Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories 
			  
			 Convergence Think Tank Taskforce Early 2008 Late 2008 To consider the policy implications of convergence in broadcasting and communications 
			  
			 Creative and Cultural Education Advisory Board Taskforce November 2006 December 2007 To construct a more coherent creativity and culture offer that builds strong connections between existing work and the emerging policy contexts 
			  
			 Digital Radio Working Group Taskforce Early 2008 December 2008 To consider the future of digital radio in the UK 
			  
			  Scheduled 
			 AVMS Directive Consultation To be confirmed To be confirmed Implementation of certain areas of the new directive by December 2009

Film: Industrial Action

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the impact of strikes by the Writers Guild of America on the British film industry.

Margaret Hodge: The Department has not made a formal assessment but will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Football: Corruption

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of levels of corruption in football; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We have been clear that the football authorities and clubs must demonstrate modern, competent governance and financial transparency if they are to protect the future integrity of the game.
	Good progress has been made and I welcome the introduction of the semi-autonomous Football Regulatory Authority (FRA), the fit and proper persons test for club directors and the FA's revised agents regulations which seek to prevent dual representation and other potential conflicts of interest.
	I also welcome Lord Stevens' recent inquiry into transfer dealings and fully support football authorities and City of London police in their on-going investigations in this area.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that all clubs are run in the best possible way and can remain a focal point of their local community.
	We have invested substantially in Supporters Direct to ensure fans have a central role in this process.

Licensing Act 2003

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 on town centres.

James Purnell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today.

Members: Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford of 16 August on his constituent, Mr. C. Metcalf (Ref. 79811); and what the reasons are for the time taken to reply.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I plan to facilitate a meeting with key representatives of Ice Hockey early in the new year to discuss issues challenging the sport and the way forward. I will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford in the near future.

Museums: Finance

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was paid to museums sponsored by his Department in each year since the introduction of free admission in 2007-08 prices.

Margaret Hodge: The total amounts paid to the 22 museums sponsored by the Department at 2007-08 prices are shown in the table. Free admission for all was introduced in December 2001.
	
		
			   Amount ( million) 
			 2001-02 287.21 
			 2002-03 305.68 
			 2003-04 309.65 
			 2004-05 308.33 
			 2005-06 313.35 
			 2006-07 328.86 
			 2007-08 340.30

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of Olympics Legacy Trust funding will be spent on  (a) cultural activities and  (b) sporting activities.

James Purnell: The 40 million endowment for the Legacy Trust is made up of a 6 million grant from DCMS, 5 million from Arts Council England (ACE), 5 million from the Big Lottery Fund (BiG), and 24 million from the Millennium Commission (which has since been transferred to BiG). In its bid for this endowment, the Legacy Trust stated its aim is to spend approximately  (a) 70 per cent. of its funding on cultural projects and  (b) 30 per cent. on sporting projects. The trust also stated its aim to support programmes, where possible, that span both arts and sport.
	The trust plans to support a small number of national programmes, including the UK School Games, a schools cultural programme, and the World Festival of Youth Culture (working title). There will be one further UK-wide programme (currently under discussion) which will focus on a cultural theme with specific communities and volunteering elements.
	The remainder of the endowment (approximately 50 per cent.) will be distributed throughout the three nations (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and nine English regions. The ideas for programmes will come from the regions and nations themselves, but the trust is advising them that they should broadly aim for a 70 per cent. culture and 30 per cent. sport split.
	While the trust will focus on culture and sport, it is within its remit to support programmes that could be classified as education or physical activity (well being), and to use culture and sport to raise issues of environmental sustainability.

Olympic Games 2012: Private Sector

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much he expects the private sector to contribute to the Olympics Legacy Trust.

James Purnell: The 40 million endowment for the Legacy Trust is made up of a 6 million grant from DCMS, 5 million from Arts Council England (ACE), 5 million from the Big Lottery Fund (BiG), and 24 million from the Millennium Commission (which has since been transferred to BiG). The aim is to double the endowment to 80 million by 2012.
	In the fundraising strategy in its bid for the endowment, the Trust set out the definition of doubling the 40 million endowment to 80 million not just on a cash basis, but via the leveraging of in-kind assistance.
	The budget in the fundraising strategy, showing where the Trust anticipates the additional 40 million coming from, is as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 Trusts/Foundations 10 
			 Public Sector/Government 15 
			 Business/Commerce 15

Opera: Finance

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the highest award is that the Arts Council for England granted to an amateur operatic society in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: The figures are as follows:
	
		
			   Amateur operatic society  Grant () 
			 2003-04 Dorset Opera 5,000 
			 2004-05 Opera in the Orchard 4,840 
			 2005-06 Dorset Opera 5,000 
			 2006-07 Opera Minima 5,000 
			 2007-08 (to November 2007) Dorset Opera 9,000 
		
	
	Applicant organisations self-define their status as amateur or professional on the Arts Council's application form.

Regional Development Agencies: Finance

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding his Department is providing to each of the regional development agencies in 2007-08.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport's contribution towards the funding of regional development agencies (RDAs) is 3.6 million for 2007-08. We are unable to disaggregate the DCMS total to each RDA, as once contributions from Government Departments go into the RDAs' single programme budget, it is not ring-fenced for particular sectors, but is available to the RDAs to spend as they see fit to achieve the regional priorities identified in their regional economic strategies and the targets set by them in their corporate plans.

Sports: Schools

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of state-funded secondary schools play competitive cricket.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The school sport survey does not provide data on competition for individual sports. However, we are able to provide the following information:
	The 2006-07 school sport survey shows that 98 per cent. of secondary schools offer cricket to their pupils and 77 per cent. of secondary schools have links to a local cricket club.

Sports: Summertime

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the potential effect on participation in sport and outdoor recreation of introducing British Summer Time in winter and double British Summer Time in summer.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We have not carried out research to assess the potential effect of introducing British Summer Time in winter and double British Summer Time in summer on participation rates in sport and outdoor recreation.

Sports: Young People

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives and programmes are in place to encourage the development of rowing facilities and encourage the sport among young people before the London 2012 Olympics.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Amateur Rowing Association is one of the 25 national governing bodies of sport which help to deliver the Step into Sport and Club Links workstrands of the National School Sport Strategy. The National School Sport Survey 2006-07 demonstrated that 7 per cent. of schools offered rowing and 3 per cent. of schools had a link with a rowing club.
	Since 2003, Sport England has allocated over 3.2 million of Community Club Development Programme funding to the Amateur Rowing Association to help community sports clubs to develop or redevelop their sports facilities.

Television: Licensing

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what representations he has received on the continuation of black and white television licences after digital switchover;
	(2)  whether the black and white television licence will continue in place  (a) before,  (b) during and  (c) after digital switchover.

James Purnell: Continuation of the black and white TV licence after digital switchover has occasionally been referred to in correspondence. Under the current regulations a black and white licence covers a digital set top box installed and used solely in conjunction with a television set or monitor able to display television programmes in black or white only. We have no plans to change this.

Television: Licensing

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) black and white and  (b) colour television licences were issued in each year since 2000.

James Purnell: The number of  (a) black and white and  (b) colour television licences in force at March of each year was as follows:
	
		
			   Black and white  Colour 
			 2000 212,625 22,474,018 
			 2001 155,070 22,765,568 
			 2002 117,622 23,121,842 
			 2003 93,834 23,461,130 
			 2004 75,011 23,858,786 
			 2005 58,664 24,204,055 
			 2006 49,295 24,437,516 
			 2007 40,758 24,560,034 
			  Note: The figure for 2007 is provisional and will be subject to change until March 2008.

Tourism: Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the cost of the floods in the summer of 2007 to the tourism industry.

Margaret Hodge: Full estimates of the costs of the flooding to the national tourism industry will not be possible until statistics on domestic holidays and day trips for the whole of 2007 are available next year.
	The Southwest and West Midlands Development Agencies have recently commissioned research on the economic costs of the flooding, to include the costs to the tourism industries of these regions.

VisitBritain

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has allocated to VisitBritain in 2007-08.

Margaret Hodge: DCMS has allocated grant-in-aid of 50.65 million to VisitBritain for 2007-08. This includes 750,000 in additional funding for domestic marketing support following the summer's flooding, and 300,000 for capital expenditure.

Wombwell and District Amateur Operatic Society: Finance

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much grant aid Arts Council England awarded to the Wombwell and District Amateur Operatic Society in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: Arts Council England has not awarded a grant to the Wombwell and District Amateur Operatic Society in the last five years.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Business: Non-domestic Rates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the presence of fire sprinklers is taken into account in business rate valuations.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) on 21 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 991-92W.

Business: Non-domestic Rates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of supplementary business rates on the take up of business improvement districts.

John Healey: It will be for individual local authorities, in developing proposals for business rate supplements, to consider the potential impact on local business and on business improvement districts (BIDs). This will include considering whether there should be an offset for ratepayers contributing to BIDs. Such decisions will need to be determined locally, as circumstances, including potential benefits to be derived from a business rate supplement and BID activities, will depend on the particular case concerned.

Business: Non-domestic Rates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a wall-mounted satellite dish is taken into account in the assessment of a business property for business rate purposes.

John Healey: The installation of a wall-mounted satellite dish does not affect a property's rateable value because it is not an item named in The Valuation for Rating (Plant and Machinery) (England) Regulations 2000 (SI 2000 No. 540) and is not, as a consequence, rateable.

Citizenship: Education

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made in preparing and disseminating guidance for teaching materials to be used in citizenship courses in madrassahs; and what the uptake of such material has been amongst the UK's madrassahs.

Parmjit Dhanda: Muslim communities in a number of areas have pioneered the development of citizenship programmes in madrassahs, most notably the Nasiha project in Bradford. Like other supplementary schools madrassahs are not specifically regulated. Therefore, we do not have a definitive account of the number of madrassahs that have implemented citizenship curricula. Communities and Local Government and the Department for Children, Schools and Families are working with Muslim communities to develop a programme of work to identify and disseminate good practice and facilitate increased take-up.

Climate Change

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Climate Change planning Policy Statement will be published.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker) on 24 October 2007,  Official Report, column 376W.

Climate Change

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department  (a) has taken and  (b) intends to take by (i) 2012 and (ii) 2020 in relation to adaptation to the effects of climate change as they affect her departmental responsibilities; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 6 December 2007
	 My Department has taken a number of steps to build adaptation to the effects of climate change into its policies. These include:
	Water scarcityannouncing regulations to be introduced on the water efficiency of new homes;
	Flood riskpublishing Planning Policy Statement 25: Development and Flood Risk, and publishing guidance on resilient construction. PPS25 is an important part of climate change adaptation policy, providing a risk-based approach to managing future changes in flood risk to new development due to climate change;
	OverheatingLimiting temperature rise by controlling the effects of solar gain through passive measures is one of the five main criteria that have to be met to comply with the energy efficiency requirements of the Building Regulations for new homes. To help limit the reliance for air conditioning due to hotter summers new homes will need to be designed with both hot and cold weather in mind if they are to be zero carbon;
	Planningpublishing a draft Planning Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change, which is due to be finalised shortly, and including a duty on planning authorities in relation to climate change in the Planning Reform Bill;
	Local Governmentconsulting on an indicator on climate change adaptation, to be included in the new Local Government Performance Framework;
	Emergency responsepublishing guidance to the Fire and Rescue Service on responding to the effects of climate change;
	Existing buildingswork with the London Climate Change Partnership and the three regions (London, South East, East of England) exploring what needs to happen to homes for purposes of adaptation and resilience.
	The Department will be working with Whitehall on the development of a cross-Government Adaptation Framework, due for publication in the spring.
	The Climate Change Bill, once enacted, will require Government to report at least every five years on current and predicted impacts of climate change and on its proposals and policy for adapting to these. The Department will consider and address the risks that climate change presents to its policies and programmes as part of that process.

Community Relations: Christmas

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what guidance and advice she has provided public authorities on celebrating Christmas in a manner conducive to promoting community cohesion;
	(2)  what guidance  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies have given to local authorities on celebrating Christmas; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government has not provided guidance to local authorities on celebrating Christmas.

Council Tax

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of those eligible to vote in local elections have  (a) full and  (b) partial liability for council tax.

John Healey: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Council Tax: Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to commission research on the council tax discount on empty properties.

John Healey: Communities and Local Government shortly expects to commission researchers to investigate the extent to which local authorities are exercising their discretionary council tax power in respect of long-term empty homes and the impact this has had.

Council Tax: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) qualitative and  (b) quantitative research the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister commissioned in relation to council tax revaluations prior to the discontinuance of that Office.

John Healey: None.

Departmental Foreign Workers

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) EU foreign nationals and  (b) non EU foreign nationals are employed by her Department.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining her Department's and its agencies' corporate identity; and what the estimated annual cost is of  (a) producing and  (b) complying with such guidelines.

Parmjit Dhanda: The corporate identity guidelines for Communities and Local Government are an evolving document available to staff through the Department's intranet. I have placed a copy of the relevant pages in the Library of the House.
	For costs relating to corporate identity, I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him today to PQs 167310 and 167352.
	Information for our agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many full-time equivalent staff are responsible for brand management and marketing in her Department and its agencies.

Parmjit Dhanda: The members of the Department's Communications directorate are listed in The White Book, published by COI, which is available in the Library of the House. Information for our agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department and its agencies spent on staff working on  (a) marketing and  (b) branding in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: In the financial year 2006-07 Communities and Local Government spent  (a) 533,414.52 on staff working on publicity and  (b) 35,474.96 on staff working on re-branding following machinery of government changes.
	Figures for our agencies are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department and its agencies spent on managing their corporate identities in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 27 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1420W. Information for our agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Standards

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to publish her Department's autumn performance report.

Parmjit Dhanda: We published the Departmental autumn performance report on 7 December. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

Parmjit Dhanda: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation are contained in the Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is made in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Elderly People

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will rank local authorities in order of those with the highest proportion of their populations aged 65 years and over; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 December 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking for the rank of local authorities in order of those with the highest proportion of their populations aged 65 years and over. (170875).
	The latest population estimates available are for mid-2006. The attached Table 1 shows the percentage of the population aged 65 and over by Local/ Unitary Authority.
	Christchurch has the greatest proportion of the population aged 65 and over at 30%, whilst Tower Hamlets has the lowest proportion (8%).
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of the population of local/unitary authorities in England and Wales aged 65 and over in mid-2006 in descending order 
			  Local/unitary authority  Percentage of the population aged 65+ 
			 Christchurch 30 
			 Rother 28 
			 West Somerset 28 
			 East Devon 27 
			 North Norfolk 27 
			 East Dorset 26 
			 Tendring 26 
			 Arun 26 
			 West Dorset 25 
			 Berwick-Upon-Tweed 24 
			 South Shropshire 24 
			 Conwy UA 23 
			 Chichester 23 
			 East Lindsey 23 
			 New Forest 23 
			 Eastbourne 23 
			 Fylde 23 
			 Lewes 23 
			 Torbay UA 23 
			 Wyre 23 
			 Isle of Wight UA 22 
			 Purbeck 22 
			 South Holland 22 
			 Waveney 22 
			 South Lakeland 22 
			 Teignbridge 22 
			 Kings Lynn and West Norfolk 22 
			 Scarborough 22 
			 Penwith 22 
			 Malvern Hills 22 
			 Worthing 22 
			 Wealden 21 
			 Adur 21 
			 Torridge 21 
			 Suffolk Coastal 21 
			 South Hams 21 
			 Thanet 21 
			 Isles of Scilly 21 
			 Carrick 21 
			 North Cornwall 21 
			 Ryedale 21 
			 Powys UA 21 
			 Craven 21 
			 Poole UA 21 
			 Alnwick 21 
			 West Devon 21 
			 Denbighshire UA 21 
			 Herefordshire UA 20 
			 North Devon 20 
			 Broadland 20 
			 Shepway 20 
			 Boston 20 
			 Great Yarmouth 20 
			 Pembrokeshire UA 20 
			 Castle Morpeth 20 
			 South Somerset 20 
			 Cotswold 20 
			 Teesdale 20 
			 Derbyshire Dales 20 
			 Havant 20 
			 South Norfolk 20 
			 North Dorset 20 
			 Breckland 20 
			 Bournemouth UA 20 
			 Isle of Anglesey UA 20 
			 Eden 20 
			 Sefton 20 
			 Weymouth and Portland 20 
			 Carmarthenshire UA 20 
			 Bridgnorth 20 
			 Caradon 20 
			 Fenland 20 
			 Mole Valley 20 
			 Kerrier 19 
			 Ceredigion UA 19 
			 Gwynedd UA 19 
			 Sedgemoor 19 
			 Stratford-on-Avon 19 
			 Dover 19 
			 Restormel 19 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA 19 
			 North Somerset UA 19 
			 Hambleton 19 
			 Taunton Deane 19 
			 Allerdale 19 
			 Babergh 19 
			 North Kesteven 19 
			 Blackpool UA 19 
			 Monmouthshire UA 19 
			 Castle Point 19 
			 North East Derbyshire 19 
			 Fareham 19 
			 Salisbury 19 
			 Tynedale 19 
			 Macclesfield 19 
			 Mid Devon 19 
			 Wychavon 19 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands 19 
			 Tewkesbury 19 
			 West Lindsey 19 
			 North Shropshire 19 
			 Wirral 19 
			 Rochford 18 
			 Forest of Dean 18 
			 Brentwood 18 
			 Oadby and Wigston 18 
			 Southend UA 18 
			 South Staffordshire 18 
			 Shrewsbury and Atcham 18 
			 Oswestry 18 
			 Neath Port Talbot UA 18 
			 Wyre Forest 18 
			 Mid Suffolk 18 
			 Swansea UA 18 
			 Carlisle 18 
			 Bromsgrove 18 
			 Stroud 18 
			 West Wiltshire 18 
			 South Tyneside 18 
			 Canterbury 18 
			 Waverley 18 
			 Stafford 18 
			 Harrogate 18 
			 Rutland UA 18 
			 South Bucks 18 
			 Chester 18 
			 Wear Valley 18 
			 Redcar and Cleveland UA 18 
			 Gedling 18 
			 Ribble Valley 18 
			 Chiltern 18 
			 Mendip 18 
			 Newark and Sherwood 18 
			 Derwentside 18 
			 Chesterfield 18 
			 Gateshead 18 
			 Wansbeck 18 
			 North Tyneside 18 
			 Sevenoaks 18 
			 Havering 18 
			 Torfaen UA 18 
			 Winchester 18 
			 Barrow-In-Furness 17 
			 Dudley 17 
			 South Kesteven 17 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 17 
			 Copeland 17 
			 North Lincolnshire UA 17 
			 Easington 17 
			 St. Edmundsbury 17 
			 Lichfield 17 
			 Congleton 17 
			 Hastings 17 
			 Solihull 17 
			 Horsham 17 
			 Blaenau Gwent UA 17 
			 Newcastle-Under-Lyme 17 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 17 
			 Sedgefield 17 
			 Cheltenham 17 
			 Tandridge 17 
			 Spelthorne 17 
			 The Vale of Glamorgan UA 17 
			 Stockport 17 
			 Bolsover 17 
			 North East Lincolnshire UA 17 
			 Chester-Le-Street 17 
			 West Lancashire 17 
			 Darlington UA 17 
			 East Hampshire 17 
			 Melton 17 
			 Mid Sussex 17 
			 Amber Valley 17 
			 Bassetlaw 17 
			 Lancaster 17 
			 Bridgend UA 17 
			 Walsall 17 
			 Wolverhampton 17 
			 Maldon 17 
			 Epping Forest 17 
			 Gosport 17 
			 West Oxfordshire 17 
			 East Cambridgeshire 17 
			 Broxtowe 17 
			 Bromley 17 
			 Doncaster 17 
			 Hinckley and Bosworth 17 
			 Rushcliffe 17 
			 Mansfield 17 
			 Crewe and Nantwich 17 
			 Tunbridge Wells 17 
			 Blaby 17 
			 Harborough 17 
			 South Ribble 17 
			 York UA 16 
			 Merthyr Tydfil UA 16 
			 Rugby 16 
			 Erewash 16 
			 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff UA 16 
			 South Oxfordshire 16 
			 Vale Royal 16 
			 Epsom and Ewell 16 
			 St. Helens 16 
			 Wrexham UA 16 
			 Kennet 16 
			 Hartlepool UA 16 
			 Sunderland 16 
			 North Hertfordshire 16 
			 Three Rivers 16 
			 Warwick 16 
			 Maidstone 16 
			 Barnsley 16 
			 Newport UA 16 
			 East Staffordshire 16 
			 Trafford 16 
			 North West Leicestershire 16 
			 Vale of White Horse 16 
			 North Warwickshire 16 
			 Rotherham 16 
			 Uttlesford 16 
			 Flintshire UA 16 
			 Ipswich 16 
			 Sandwell 16 
			 Ashford 16 
			 High Peak 16 
			 Test Valley 16 
			 Ashfield 16 
			 Bexley 16 
			 Reigate and Banstead 16 
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA 16 
			 Hertsmere 16 
			 Plymouth UA 16 
			 Sheffield 16 
			 Runnymede 16 
			 Wakefield 16 
			 Caerphilly UA 16 
			 Gravesham 16 
			 Derby UA 16 
			 Richmondshire 16 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 16 
			 Tonbridge and Malling 16 
			 Elmbridge 16 
			 Dacorum 16 
			 Eastleigh 16 
			 Blyth Valley 16 
			 Swale 16 
			 Broxbourne 15 
			 Burnley 15 
			 Salford 15 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 15 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth 15 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 15 
			 South Cambridgeshire 15 
			 Pendle 15 
			 Calderdale 15 
			 North Wiltshire 15 
			 Selby 15 
			 Braintree 15 
			 Bury 15 
			 Norwich 15 
			 Hyndburn 15 
			 Wellingborough 15 
			 Knowsley 15 
			 Kettering 15 
			 Wigan 15 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead UA 15 
			 Basildon 15 
			 Chelmsford 15 
			 Tameside 15 
			 Middlesbrough UA 15 
			 Bolton 15 
			 Lincoln 15 
			 Bedford 15 
			 Warrington UA 15 
			 Chorley 15 
			 Guildford 15 
			 Exeter 15 
			 Harlow 15 
			 Gloucester 15 
			 East Northamptonshire 15 
			 Charnwood 15 
			 Brighton and Hove UA 15 
			 Coventry 15 
			 Liverpool 15 
			 Stockton-on-Tees UA 15 
			 St. Albans 15 
			 Wycombe 15 
			 Woking 15 
			 Surrey Heath 15 
			 Worcester 15 
			 Durham 15 
			 Leeds 15 
			 South Bedfordshire 15 
			 Cannock Chase 15 
			 Kirklees 15 
			 Corby 15 
			 Colchester 14 
			 Oldham 14 
			 Preston 14 
			 Crawley 14 
			 East Hertfordshire 14 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 14 
			 Dartford 14 
			 Forest Heath 14 
			 Rochdale 14 
			 Rossendale 14 
			 Stevenage 14 
			 South Derbyshire 14 
			 Harrow 14 
			 Cherwell 14 
			 Sutton 14 
			 Swindon UA 14 
			 Huntingdonshire 14 
			 Portsmouth UA 14 
			 Peterborough UA 14 
			 West Berkshire UA 14 
			 Daventry 14 
			 South Northamptonshire 14 
			 Barnet 14 
			 Cardiff UA 14 
			 Bradford 14 
			 Hart 14 
			 Halton UA 14 
			 Birmingham 14 
			 Aylesbury Vale 14 
			 Northampton 14 
			 Telford and Wrekin UA 14 
			 Hillingdon 13 
			 Bristol, City of UA 13 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 13 
			 Southampton UA 13 
			 Medway UA 13 
			 Enfield 13 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 13 
			 Watford 13 
			 Wokingham UA 13 
			 Thurrock UA 13 
			 Redditch 13 
			 Redbridge 13 
			 City of London 13 
			 Barking and Dagenham 13 
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA 13 
			 Croydon 13 
			 Richmond upon Thames 13 
			 Tamworth 13 
			 Rushmoor 13 
			 Nottingham UA 12 
			 Reading UA 12 
			 Leicester UA 12 
			 Luton UA 12 
			 Kingston Upon Thames 12 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 12 
			 Merton 12 
			 Greenwich 12 
			 Cambridge 12 
			 Brent 12 
			 Manchester 12 
			 Bracknell Forest UA 12 
			 Slough UA 11 
			 Ealing 11 
			 Oxford 11 
			 Hounslow 11 
			 Westminster 11 
			 Waltham Forest 11 
			 Milton Keynes UA 11 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 10 
			 Lewisham 10 
			 Wandsworth 10 
			 Southwark 9 
			 Haringey 9 
			 Islington 9 
			 Camden 9 
			 Hackney 9 
			 Lambeth 9 
			 Newham 8 
			 Tower Hamlets 8 
			  Source: Office for National Statistics.

Elderly: Herefordshire

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the population of Herefordshire that are aged 65 years and over, in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 December 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking the estimate has been made of the population of Herefordshire aged 65 years and over in each year since 1997. (170881)
	Table 1 shows the population aged 65 and over for Herefordshire for the years requested.
	The latest population estimates available are for mid-2006.
	
		
			  Table 1: Population aged 65 and over for Herefordshire 
			  Mid-year  65+ 
			 1997 32,000 
			 1998 32,000 
			 1999 33,000 
			 2000 33,000 
			 2001 34,000 
			 2002 34,000 
			 2003 35,000 
			 2004 35,000 
			 2005 36,000 
			 2006 36,000 
			  Note: Data are rounded to the nearest 1,000.  Source: Office for National Statistics.

Emergency Services: Hampshire

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what average fire and rescue appliance response times were in Hampshire in each year since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: The following table shows the average response times taken by the fire and rescue services in Hampshire between 1997 and 2005, the most recent calendar year for which data are available. The table shows the time from the initial call to attendance, and the time from mobilisation to attendance (i.e. the actual driving time).
	
		
			  Average response time to fires by brigade area and year of call, Hampshire, 1997 to 2005( 1,2,3) 
			  Minutes 
			   First call to attendance  Mobilisation to attendance 
			 1997 6.5 6.3 
			 1998 6.7 6.2 
			 1999 7.1 6.6 
			 2000 6.9 6.3 
			 2001 7.0 6.3 
			 2002 7.0 5.8 
			 2003 7.4 6.5 
			 2004 7.4 6.2 
			 2005 7.5 6.4 
			 (1) Excluding late call and heat and smoke damage only incidents. (2) Excluding incidents not recorded during periods of industrial action in 2002 and 2003. (3) A small number of incidents with response time greater than an hour have been excluded so that results are not skewed by likely reporting errors.

Empowerment Champions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what she expects the  (a) purpose,  (b) function and  (c) annual cost of the proposed empowerment champions to be.

John Healey: Eighteen local authorities are members of the network of empowerment champions. Their purpose is to promote effective empowerment practices so that they are more widely adopted. The function of the network is to achieve this by identifying effective practices, publicising them, and increasing their adoption through a peer learning programme. It will also enable network members to contribute to national learning from their experience. The network's activities will be supported by up to 500,000 a year.

Empty Property

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty properties there have been in each local authority area in the East of England in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice). (PQ 166966).

Empty Property

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty domestic properties there were in each local authority area in England for the latest year for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: A table showing the number of vacant dwellings as reported by each local authority in England, at October 2006, has been placed in the Library of the House. The total vacancies and those vacant for longer than six months are presented. Figures are as reported by local authorities through the Council Tax Base (CTB1) form.

Empty Property: Greater London

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the vacancy rate was of  (a) homes,  (b) social rented homes and (c) commercial properties in each London borough in each of the last 10 years.

Iain Wright: Vacancy rates for  (a) all dwellings and  (b) social rent dwellings for each London borough since 1997 are presented in the following table. Vacancy rates include long-term vacancies (those empty for more than six months) and short-term vacancies.
	
		
			  Vacancy rates of social rent housing (local authority plus registered social landlords) for London boroughs, 1997 to 2006 
			  Percentage 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 City of London 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 
			 Barnet 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Bexley 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Brent 3 3 n/a 3 2 3 2 3 1 1 
			 Bromley 2 2 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 
			 Camden 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 
			 Croydon 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Ealing 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 
			 Enfield 2 1 2 2 3 4 3 2 2 1 
			 Greenwich 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Hackney 6 5 5 5 5 4 3 3 3 2 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 4 4 3 2 2 2 3 3 2 2 
			 Haringey 3 3 3 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 
			 Harrow 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 
			 Havering 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 2 3 
			 Hillingdon 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 
			 Hounslow 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 1 1 
			 Islington 4 3 3 3 2 1 2 1 1 1 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 
			 Lambeth 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 
			 Lewisham 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 
			 Merton 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Newham 8 6 5 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 
			 Redbridge 3 2 2 5 3 2 2 2 1 1 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 
			 Southwark 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 4 3 
			 Sutton 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 
			 Tower Hamlets 5 5 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 
			 Waltham Forest 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 3 
			 Wandsworth 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 
			 Westminster 4 4 5 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 n/a = data not available  Source s: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix as reported by local authorities as at 1 April Regulatory Statistical Return from the Housing Corporation as at 31 March 
		
	
	
		
			  Total vacancy rates for all housing, London boroughs, 1997 to 2006 
			  Percentage 
			   1 April  October  November 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 City of London 1 1 n/a n/a 1 1 3 3 2 2 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2 3 3 3 2 2 3 2 3 4 
			 Barnet 3 4 4 3 2 4 3 3 3 3 
			 Bexley 3 3 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Brent 5 4 5 6 5 5 3 3 3 2 
			 Bromley 3  3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Camden 4 5 7 5 5 5 4 3 3 3 
			 Croydon 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Ealing 5 5 5 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 
			 Enfield 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 4 4 4 
			 Greenwich 5 5 5 5 3 4 3 3 3 4 
			 Hackney 6 5 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 6 5 5 5 6 4 5 4 3 3 
			 Haringey 6 5 6 5 5 4 4 2 2 2 
			 Harrow 1 1 2 2 1 3 3 2 2 1 
			 Havering 3 3 3  3 2 3 3 3 3 
			 Hillingdon 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 
			 Hounslow 3 3 2 2 1 4 2 2 2 2 
			 Islington 7 4 4 3 4 3 5 3 2 2 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 11 n/a 2 2 7 5 4 4 3 3 
			 Kingston upon Thames n/a n/a 2 2 2 4 4 4 3 3 
			 Lambeth 5 4 4 4 2 4 4 3 2 3 
			 Lewisham 5 n/a 3 3 4 3 3 1 1 1 
			 Merton 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 
			 Newham 4 6 6 5 6 3 3 3 3 4 
			 Redbridge 4 4 4 3 3 2 3 2 2 3 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3 2 2 2 2 4 4 3 2 2 
			 Southwark 3 4 6 6 6 3 4 4 2 2 
			 Sutton 2 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Tower Hamlets 7 7 7 7 7 6 3 2 2 3 
			 Waltham Forest 5 5 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Wandsworth 2 2 2 2 2 4 n/a n/a 2 2 
			 Westminster 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 
			 n/a = data not available  Sources: For 1997-2001 Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix as reported by local authorities 2002-06 Council tax base return from local authorities 
		
	
	continued
	Estimated vacancy rates for  (c) commercial and industrial properties are available for 1998-99 to 2004-05 and are presented in the following table.
	These estimated vacancy rates are derived from the amount of business rate relief given for empty and partially empty properties in each local authority as reported in financial returns to Communities and Local Government.
	
		
			  Estimated vacancy rates of commercial and industrial property, London boroughs, 1998-99 to 2004-05 
			  Percentage 
			   1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 City of London 8 8 9 6 9 14 16 
			 Barking and Dagenham 9 9 12 10 12 10 11 
			 Barnet 6 6 4 6 5 6 5 
			 Bexley 8 6 4 4 6 8 8 
			 Brent 12 12 15 18 19 16 16 
			 Bromley 6 7 6 5 4 3 4 
			 Camden 12 11 6 5 8 11 10 
			 Croydon 9 8 7 8 8 10 10 
			 Ealing 12 18 18 19 18 18 18 
			 Enfield 9 8 7 7 7 6 9 
			 Greenwich 9 9 8 9 9 7 8 
			 Hackney 30 28 24 21 22 20 28 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 7 7 7 5 7 10 11 
			 Haringey 14 11 11 13 12 12 12 
			 Harrow 7 7 7 6 5 5 5 
			 Havering 10 8 8 8 7 8 9 
			 Hillingdon 6 6 5 5 8 9 9 
			 Hounslow 14 11 9 9 15 17 15 
			 Islington 12 10 9 8 11 11 13 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2 2 2 2 3 5 6 
			 Kingston upon Thames 7 13 7 5 7 7 7 
			 Lambeth 10 10 6 6 8 8 9 
			 Lewisham 13 12 12 12 12 13 13 
			 Merton 7 7 6 6 7 7 7 
			 Newham 16 15 14 14 14 14 14 
			 Redbridge 8 8 8 7 7 7 8 
			 Richmond upon Thames 6 6 4 5 6 7 6 
			 Southwark 11 9 8 9 10 12 9 
			 Sutton 7 6 8 8 8 4 10 
			 Tower Hamlets 21 13 10 8 9 13 12 
			 Waltham Forest 18 16 11 14 14 13 14 
			 Wandsworth 7 6 5 4 5 5 5 
			 Westminster 10 10 5 7 9 11 10

First Time Buyers: Mortgages

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of first-time buyers in  (a) London,  (b) the South East and  (c) England took out a mortgage with a repayment schedule expected to last more than (i) 20, (ii) 25, (iii) 30, (iv) 35, (v) 40 and (vi) 60 years in  (A) 1997,  (B) 2000,  (C) 2003 and  (D) 2006.

Iain Wright: The proportion of first-time buyers in London, South East and England that took out mortgages expected to last more than 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 60 years for 2006 is shown in the following table.
	Data for 1997, 2000 and 2003 is unavailable.
	
		
			  Proportion of FTBs that took out mortgages expected to last more than 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 60 years, 2006 
			  Greater than 20 Greater than 25 Greater than 30 Greater than 35 Greater than 40 Greater than 60 
			 London 90.13 19.47 4.71 0.31 0.00 0.00 
			 South East 89.73 34.89 12.59 0.61 0.00 0.00 
			 England 90.17 37.06 13.79 0.60 0.00 0.00 
			  Source:  Regulated Mortgage Survey

Green Belt

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many hectares of designated green belt land there were in England in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2006, broken down by local planning authority area.

Iain Wright: The number of hectares of designated green belt land in England in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2006 broken down by local planning authority is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  Area of designated green belt land( 1)  by local planning authority: 1997 
			  Local planning authority  Area (hectares) 
			 Amber Valley 8,620 
			 Ashfield 4,710 
			 Aylesbury Vale 4,760 
			 Barking and Dagenham 520 
			 Barnet 2,380 
			 Barnsley 22,970 
			 Basildon 6,920 
			 Bath and North East Somerset UA 21,440 
			 Bexley 1,130 
			 Birmingham 4,240 
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA 1,860 
			 Blackpool UA 60 
			 Blyth Valley 170 
			 Bolsover 1,160 
			 Bolton 7,270 
			 Bournemouth UA 710 
			 Bracknell Forest 3,840 
			 Bradford 23,120 
			 Brentwood 13,740 
			 Bridgnorth 24,440 
			 Bromley 7,710 
			 Bromsgrove 19,710 
			 Broxbourne 3,360 
			 Broxtowe 5,190 
			 Burnley 1,060 
			 Bury 5,960 
			 Calderdale 22,980 
			 Cambridge 1,290 
			 Cannock Chase 4,840 
			 Castle Morpeth 12,220 
			 Castle Point 2,590 
			 Chelmsford 12,910 
			 Cheltenham 810 
			 Cherwell 8,410 
			 Chester 18,520 
			 Chesterfield 1,450 
			 Chester-le-Street 2,820 
			 Chiltern 17,350 
			 Chorley 14,590 
			 Christchurch 3,330 
			 City and County of Bristol UA 610 
			 City of York UA 22,460 
			 Congleton 5,290 
			 Cotswold 110 
			 Coventry 3,200 
			 Crewe and Nantwich 1,210 
			 Croydon 2,310 
			 Dacorum 9,760 
			 Dartford 4,430 
			 Derby UA 250 
			 Doncaster 22,610 
			 Dudley 1,720 
			 Ealing 320 
			 East Cambridgeshire 1,910 
			 East Dorset 16,970 
			 East Hertfordshire 17,460 
			 East Staffordshire 40 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 3,450 
			 Elmbridge 5,550 
			 Enfield 3,090 
			 Epping Forest 31,690 
			 Epsom and Ewell 1,560 
			 Erewash 7,800 
			 Fylde 1,790 
			 Gateshead 8,060 
			 Gedling 9,470 
			 Gravesham 7,660 
			 Greenwich  
			 Guildford 24,190 
			 Halton UA 2,500 
			 Hambleton 1,460 
			 Haringey 50 
			 Harlow 920 
			 Harrogate 14,520 
			 Harrow 1,090 
			 Havering 6,080 
			 Hertsmere 8,020 
			 High Peak 4,050 
			 Hillingdon 5,230 
			 Hounslow 1,230 
			 Hyndburn 4,010 
			 Kingston upon Thames 640 
			 Kirklees 25,550 
			 Knowsley 4,680 
			 Lancaster 1,740 
			 Leeds 36,150 
			 Lichfield 15,020 
			 Liverpool 540 
			 Luton UA 130 
			 Macclesfield 34,320 
			 Maidstone 530 
			 Manchester 1,850 
			 Mendip 730 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 9,490 
			 Mid Sussex 10 
			 Mole Valley 19,690 
			 New Forest DC 51,850 
			 Newark and Sherwood 6,300 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 9,070 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 4,350 
			 Newham 80 
			 North East Derbyshire 10,460 
			 North Hertfordshire 14,250 
			 North Somerset UA 15,320 
			 North Tyneside 2,080 
			 North Warwickshire 17,480 
			 North Wiltshire 1,800 
			 Nottingham 750 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth 3,640 
			 Oldham 6,260 
			 Oxford 1,300 
			 Pendle 2,320 
			 Poole UA 1,900 
			 Preston 690 
			 Purbeck 7,300 
			 Redbridge 2,040 
			 Redditch 1,830 
			 Reigate and Banstead 8,800 
			 Ribble Valley 1,740 
			 Richmond upon Thames 140 
			 Rochdale 9,940 
			 Rochester-upon-Medway 1,340 
			 Rochford 12,810 
			 Rossendale 3,150 
			 Rotherham 20,750 
			 Rugby 20,610 
			 Runnymede 6,120 
			 Rushcliffe 17,240 
			 Ryedale 160 
			 Salford 3,380 
			 Sandwell 820 
			 Sefton 8,110 
			 Selby 17,440 
			 Sevenoaks 34,400 
			 Sheffield 9,310 
			 Slough 840 
			 Solihull 12,040 
			 South Bedfordshire 18,750 
			 South Bucks 12,340 
			 South Cambridgeshire 23,490 
			 South Derbyshire 2,400 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 23,280 
			 South Oxfordshire 15,370 
			 South Ribble 7,900 
			 South Staffordshire 32,310 
			 South Tyneside 2,500 
			 Southend-on-Sea UA 640 
			 Spelthorne 3,320 
			 St. Albans 13,150 
			 St. Helens 8,920 
			 Stafford 11,190 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands 17,400 
			 Stevenage 360 
			 Stockport 5,900 
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA 1,710 
			 Stratford-on-Avon 22,470 
			 Sunderland 3,490 
			 Surrey Heath 4,190 
			 Sutton 640 
			 Tameside 5,050 
			 Tamworth 220 
			 Tandridge 23,300 
			 Test Valley 290 
			 Tewkesbury 6,110 
			 Three Rivers 6,840 
			 Thurrock UA 11,980 
			 Tonbridge and Malling 17,090 
			 Trafford 4,060 
			 Tunbridge Wells 7,160 
			 Tynedale 17,350 
			 Uttlesford 3,810 
			 Vale of White Horse 8,320 
			 Vale Royal 15,860 
			 Wakefield 24,180 
			 Walsall 3,820 
			 Waltham Forest 840 
			 Warrington 11,300 
			 Warwick 20,040 
			 Watford 410 
			 Waverley 21,140 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 10,250 
			 West Lancashire 27,830 
			 West Oxfordshire 1,620 
			 West Wiltshire 5,180 
			 Wigan 10,680 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 16,470 
			 Wirral 7,490 
			 Woking 4,010 
			 Wokingham 2,890 
			 Wolverhampton 780 
			 Worcester 230 
			 Wychavon 7,280 
			 Wycombe 15,570 
			 Wyre 750 
			 Wyre Forest 11,240 
			 (1) Areas less than 5 hectares are shown as ''.  Source: Communities and Local Government Statistical Releases: Green Belt Statistics, England 1997. 
		
	
	
		
			  Area of designated green belt land( 1 ) by local planning authority: 2006 
			  Local planning authority  Area (hectares) 
			 Amber Valley 8,620 
			 Ashfield 4,520 
			 Aylesbury Vale 4,800 
			 Barking and Dagenham 440 
			 Barnet 2,466 
			 Barnsley 23,030 
			 Basildon 6,960 
			 Bath and North East Somerset UA 21,440 
			 Bexley 1,120 
			 Birmingham 4,173 
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA 5,570 
			 Blackpool UA 60 
			 Blyth Valley 2,890 
			 Bolsover 1,100 
			 Bolton 7,270 
			 Bournemouth UA 730 
			 Bracknell Forest 3,850 
			 Bradford 23,890 
			 Brentwood 13,750 
			 Bridgnorth 24,490 
			 Bromley 7,710 
			 Bromsgrove 19,480 
			 Broxbourne 3,310 
			 Broxtowe 5,150 
			 Burnley 1,060 
			 Bury 5,930 
			 Calderdale 22,820 
			 Cambridge 962 
			 Cannock Chase 4,840 
			 Castle Morpeth 12,210 
			 Castle Point 2,750 
			 Chelmsford 12,890 
			 Cheltenham 810 
			 Cherwell 8,410 
			 Chester 18,520 
			 Chesterfield 1,430 
			 Chester-le-Street 2,770 
			 Chiltern 17,370 
			 Chorley 14,570 
			 Christchurch 3,470 
			 City and County of Bristol UA 610 
			 City of York UA 22,340 
			 Congleton 5,290 
			 Cotswold 110 
			 Coventry 3,000 
			 Crewe and Nantwich 1,250 
			 Croydon 2,310 
			 Dacorum 10,690 
			 Dartford 4,110 
			 Derby UA 250 
			 Doncaster 23,220 
			 Dudley 1,770 
			 Durham 5,690 
			 Ealing 330 
			 Easington 280 
			 East Cambridgeshire 1,910 
			 East Dorset 16,880 
			 East Hertfordshire 17,460 
			 East Staffordshire 40 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 3,450 
			 Elmbridge 5,610 
			 Enfield 3,010 
			 Epping Forest 31,680 
			 Epsom and Ewell 1,560 
			 Erewash 7,850 
			 Fylde 1,790 
			 Gateshead 8,680 
			 Gedling 9,020 
			 Gravesham 7,660 
			 Greenwich  
			 Guildford 24,110 
			 Halton UA 2,550 
			 Hambleton 1,520 
			 Haringey 60 
			 Harlow 630 
			 Harrogate 14,450 
			 Harrow 1,090 
			 Havering 6,020 
			 Hertsmere 8,040 
			 High Peak 4,000 
			 Hillingdon 4,960 
			 Hounslow 1,220 
			 Hyndburn 4,120 
			 Kingston upon Thames 640 
			 Kirklees 25,510 
			 Knowsley 4,660 
			 Lancaster 1,730 
			 Leeds 34,380 
			 Lichfield 15,220 
			 Liverpool 540 
			 Luton UA 140 
			 Macclesfield 34,080 
			 Maidstone 530 
			 Manchester 1,710 
			 Medway UA 1,340 
			 Mendip 850 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 9,490 
			 Mid Sussex 20 
			 Mole Valley 19,660 
			 New Forest DC 4,830 
			 Newark and Sherwood 6,280 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 9,420 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 4,390 
			 Newham 80 
			 North East Derbyshire 10,340 
			 North Hertfordshire 14,060 
			 North Somerset UA 15,480 
			 North Tyneside 1,660 
			 North Warwickshire 17,480 
			 North Wiltshire 1,800 
			 Nottingham 750 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth 3,793 
			 Oldham 6,260 
			 Oxford 1,300 
			 Pendle 2,070 
			 Poole UA 1,900 
			 Preston 660 
			 Purbeck 7,300 
			 Redbridge 2,070 
			 Redditch 1,830 
			 Reigate and Banstead 8,800 
			 Ribble Valley 1,720 
			 Richmond upon Thames 140 
			 Rochdale 9,920 
			 Rochford 12,770 
			 Rossendale 3,130 
			 Rotherham 20,650 
			 Rugby 20,680 
			 Runnymede 6,140 
			 Rushcliffe 17,200 
			 Ryedale 860 
			 Salford 3,370 
			 Sandwell 820 
			 Sefton 7,840 
			 Selby 19,240 
			 Sevenoaks 34,380 
			 Sheffield 9,130 
			 Slough 830 
			 Solihull 11,930 
			 South Bedfordshire 18,720 
			 South Bucks 12,220 
			 South Cambridgeshire 23,430 
			 South Derbyshire 2,390 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 23,230 
			 South Oxfordshire 15,360 
			 South Ribble 7,730 
			 South Staffordshire 32,310 
			 South Tyneside 2,410 
			 Southend-on-Sea UA 640 
			 Spelthorne 3,320 
			 St. Albans 13,100 
			 St. Helens 8,880 
			 Stafford 11,140 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands 17,430 
			 Stevenage 360 
			 Stockport 5,840 
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA 1,790 
			 Stratford-on-Avon 22,380 
			 Sunderland 3,490 
			 Surrey Heath 4,200 
			 Sutton 620 
			 Tameside 5,070 
			 Tamworth 200 
			 Tandridge 23,280 
			 Test Valley 0 
			 Tewkesbury 6,580 
			 Three Rivers 6,810 
			 Thurrock UA 11,980 
			 Tonbridge and Malling 17,060 
			 Trafford 4,060 
			 Tunbridge Wells 7,180 
			 Tynedale 27,440 
			 Uttlesford 3,810 
			 Vale of White Horse 8,320 
			 Vale Royal 17,270 
			 Wakefield 23,890 
			 Walsall 3,940 
			 Waltham Forest 840 
			 Warrington 11,510 
			 Warwick 19,950 
			 Watford 410 
			 Waverley 21,150 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 10,250 
			 West Lancashire 32,090 
			 West Oxfordshire 1,610 
			 West Wiltshire 5,140 
			 Wigan 10,650 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 16,520 
			 Wirral 7,330 
			 Woking 4,020 
			 Wokingham 2,890 
			 Wolverhampton 800 
			 Worcester 230 
			 Wychavon 8,910 
			 Wycombe 15,620 
			 Wyre 760 
			 Wyre Forest 11,210 
			 (1) Areas less than 5 hectares are shown as ''.  Note: The New Forest National Park was created in March 2005. As a result the area of land designated as Green Belt in New Forest District Council has fallen from 51,840 hectares to 4,830 hectares and in Test Valley borough council from 290 hectares to zero.  Source: Communities and Local Government Statistical Releases: Green Belt Statistics, England 2006.

Homelessness

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of people in England who were  (a) squatting,  (b) facing eviction,  (c) in temporary accommodation,  (d) living in severe overcrowding and  (e) staying with friends or family because they have no accommodation at the latest date for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: The information requested is as follows.
	 Temporary accommodation
	Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected quarterly at local authority level, in respect of households rather than people. Information reported each quarter by local authorities about their activities under homelessness legislation includes the number of households accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty. The duty owed to an accepted household is to secure suitable accommodation. If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority may secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available. This data is published in our quarterly statistical release on Statutory Homelessness, available on our website and placed in the Library each quarter. The latest release was published on 10 September 2007 and contains data for the period April to June 2007:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	The latest figures show that there were 84,900 households in temporary accommodation in England on 30 June 2007. This is down from 101,000 in December 2004.
	 Overcrowding
	Over the period 2003-04 to 2005-06 it is estimated, from Survey of English Housing figures, that there were 47,000 households in England living in severely overcrowded conditions.
	The benchmark for assessing whether or not a household is overcrowded or severely overcrowded is the Bedroom Standard. This is determined for each household in accordance with its age/sex/marital status composition and the relationship of the members to one another. A separate bedroom is required:
	for each married or cohabiting couple;
	for any other person aged 21 or over;
	for each pair of adolescents aged 10-20 of the same sex;
	for each pair of children under 10.
	Further, any unpaired person aged 10-20 is paired, if possible with a child under 10 of the same sex, or, if that is not possible, he or she is counted as requiring a separate bedroom, as is any unpaired child under 10.
	This standard is then compared with the actual number of bedrooms (including bed-sitters) available for the sole use of the household. Bedrooms converted to other uses are not counted as available unless they have been denoted as bedrooms by the residents. Bedrooms not actually in use are counted unless uninhabitable.
	If a household has fewer bedrooms than implied by the standard then it is deemed to be 'overcrowded'. Since one bedroom will be sufficient for single person households and for married/cohabiting couples, these households cannot be overcrowded according to the bedroom standard. If a household has two or more bedrooms fewer than implied by the standard then it is deemed to be 'severely overcrowded'.
	The Government are committed to addressing overcrowding and to updating the standards. We have already announced our intention to increase the numbers of affordable housing, including family sized social properties, to help to support a reduction in overcrowding.
	 Households facing eviction
	Data from the Ministry of Justice indicate that in the year to 30 September 2007, there were 61,532 outright landlord orders. This figure should not be taken as an indication of how many households have been repossessed through the courts, since not all orders result in actual eviction.
	No reliable information on the number of squatters, or people staying with family or friends because they have no accommodation, is collected centrally.

Housing

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the reasons for the reduction in the number of new residential dwellings built on previously developed land in the last 12 months; and what proportion of new residential dwellings were built on previously developed land in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006 in (i) England and (ii) each Government Office Region.

Iain Wright: In 2006, on a provisional estimate, 74 per cent. of all new dwellings were built on previously developed (brownfield) land, compared to 77 per cent. in 2005. The figures for each region and both years, including and excluding conversions of buildings into dwellings, can be seen in the following table.
	Due to the way the data are collected, all statistics are subject to revision, and the 2006 statistics are marked as provisional because they are more susceptible to change. There is an inevitable time-lag between land use change occurring and it being recorded causing these revisions.
	The statistics are the best estimates available; however the Department is constantly researching the figures to ensure they are as robust as possible.
	No assessment has yet been made of this reduction. The target for development on previously developed land remains 60 per cent. and this is being achieved.
	
		
			  New dwellings built on previously-developed land 
			   Excluding conversions  Including conversions 
			   2005  2006( 1)  2005  2006( 1) 
			 North East 69 71 71 72 
			 North West 81 83 83 85 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 73 67 77 70 
			 East Midlands 54 65 60 69 
			 West Midlands 76 79 79 81 
			 East of England 70 64 72 66 
			 London 97 90 97 90 
			 South East 75 74 78 76 
			 South West 62 58 67 63 
			  
			 England 74 72 77 74 
			 (1 )Provisional  Notes: 1. There is an inevitable time-lag between land use change occurring and it being recorded, therefore data are constantly being updated. 2. The data in the table are based on records received from Ordnance Survey up to June 2007, published in October 2007 in Land Use Change in England to 2006: Additional Tables LUCS-22A.

Housing Market Pathfinder Programme

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department will respond to the most recent National Audit Office report on the Housing Market Pathfinder programme.

Yvette Cooper: The National Audit Office report has now been considered by the Public Accounts Committee, which will report in due course. The Government will then respond to its recommendations.

Housing: Public Participation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of each of the responses from external organisations and individuals to the recent Housing Green Paper.

Yvette Cooper: As we indicated in the recent Housing Green Paper, my Department will publish a summary of responses to the consultation on the Green Paper in early 2008.

Housing: Sales

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what projections she has made of the number of properties with two or more bedrooms to be made available to buy through  (a) Social HomeBuy,  (b) New Build HomeBuy,  (c) Open Market HomeBuy and  (d) the First Time Buyers Initiative in each of the next three financial years;
	(2)  what projections she has made of the number of homes to be made available to buy through  (a) Social HomeBuy,  (b) New Build HomeBuy,  (c) Open Market HomeBuy and  (d) the First Time Buyers Initiative in each of the next three financial years.

Yvette Cooper: As stated in our Housing Green Paper, we are aiming to provide at least 25,000 shared ownership and shared equity homes in each of the next three years.
	Funding for housing is distributed between the Regions on the basis of an analysis of relative need which takes account of local authority need. Announcements as to the levels of funding to be made available for affordable housing for the next three years will be made shortly.
	The funding is being made available to bids from both housing associations, developers and local authorities through the Housing Corporation's bidding round for the National Affordable Housing Programme. Investment in 2008-11 and completions and size of units will depend on the bids received by the Housing Corporation.

Housing: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Government's targets for new house-building in England were in each year since 1997-98.

Iain Wright: Detailed housing targets are not directly set by Government, but are set out in regional and local plans which are developed through regional and local planning processes. The Government set the overall strategy for housing supply in England. The 2003 Sustainable Communities Plan set out a target to increase housing supply from 900,000 to 1.1 million in the RPG9 area (the wider South East) over the course of the plan, and the Government's 2005 response to the Barker review of Housing Supply announced an ambition to increase housing supply in England from 150,000 to 200,000 per annum by 2016.
	The Housing Green Paper, Homes for the Future: more affordable, more sustainable (CM 7191), published in July, set out a target to increase housing supply to 240,000 additional homes per annum by 2016.

Institute for Public Policy Research: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding has  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies provided to (a) the IPPR and (b) IPPR Ltd. in relation to community cohesion in the last 24 months; and for what projects.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government has not commissioned work from IPPR on cohesion in the last 24 months. However, the Commission on Integration and Cohesion did. This was a thinkpiece about challenging attitudes, perceptions and myths, which informed their work and was published on their website. The Commission was funded by Communities and Local Government.

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the levy on authorities in  (a) Essex,  (b) Hertfordshire and  (c) Greater London by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority was (i) in cash terms and (ii) expressed as the average addition to a Band D council tax bill in each year since 1997-98.

John Healey: Details of the levy raised by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority on authorities in Essex, Hertfordshire and Greater London, both in cash terms and expressed as the average addition to a Band D council tax bill in each year since 1997-98, are shown in the following tables. These data have been provided by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.
	
		
			   
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03 
			 Corporation of London 8,396 8,448 9,181 9,792 10,989 11,234 
			
			  Inner London boroughs   
			 Camden 202,656 203,412 209,664 215,420 223,034 227,099 
			 Greenwich 170,964 172,392 177,753 180,782 188,016 193,181 
			 Hackney 146,160 151,020 156,279 162,837 114,435 139,994 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 179,028 178,020 181,951 184,044 190,400 195,065 
			 Islington 167,736 167,424 171,988 174,937 181,662 189,459 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 213,036 215,592 222,809 228,941 235,761 239,138 
			 Lambeth 219,288 219,156 226,277 230,754 239,968 249,803 
			 Lewisham 201,432 199,536 205,159 208,426 214,838 221,163 
			 Southwark 203,172 203,736 211,206 212,552 218,760 221,195 
			 Tower Hamlets 133,800 137,004 146,492 154,641 169,451 175,502 
			 Wandsworth 261,408 261,168 269,405 275,851 285,477 290,469 
			 Westminster 254,640 257,556 267,163 274,714 289,402 297,240 
			
			  Outer London boroughs   
			 Barking and Dagenham 122,784 122,388 125,537 128,058 133,464 135,322 
			 Barnet 316,788 316,416 325,639 333,862 346,451 351,694 
			 Bexley 201,324 199,260 204,289 208,058 214,419 216,982 
			 Brent 221,184 220,812 226,303 230,176 234,871 237,944 
			 Bromley 317,496 315,732 322,988 327,601 336,276 340,572 
			 Croydon 296,472 298,332 307,392 313,872 322,314 328,811 
			 Ealing 266,376 265,668 274,105 278,322 286,418 291,071 
			 Enfield 251,436 249,564 256,591 257,747 267,355 272,671 
			 Haringey 193,296 191,868 196,379 199,015 205,414 208,533 
			 Harrow 196,776 196,164 202,277 205,720 209,692 215,493 
			 Havering 210,528 208,152 213,718 217,076 223,138 226,886 
			 Hillingdon 229,032 228,096 233,902 236,614 245,858 248,388 
			 Hounslow 190,656 192,876 197,284 200,293 203,776 209,339 
			 Kingston upon Thames 144,408 144,888 149,018 151,434 156,397 157,703 
			 Merton 175,104 173,496 177,706 180,663 185,966 188,133 
			 Newham 150,528 151,884 157,708 160,948 171,573 177,240 
			 Redbridge 206,820 207,312 212,781 218,024 222,920 227,739 
			 Richmond upon Thames 197,400 196,212 204,006 208,856 215,130 218,394 
			 Sutton 170,808 170,616 174,900 177,000 181,766 184,368 
			 Waltham Forest 177,072 175,128 180,339 182,302 187,264 191,367 
			
			 All London 6,598,004 6,599,328 6,798,187 6,929,332 7,112,654 7,279,194 
			
			 Hertfordshire 996,996 993,948 1,025,843 1,047,147 1,083,538 1,100,039 
			
			 Essex 1,273,800 1,165,872 1,208,017 1 ,234,569 1,280,441 1,304,343 
			 Thurrock  110,976 114,953 117,852 122,366 125,323 
			 Southend on Sea  140,376 
			
			 Total levy 8,868,800 9,010,500 9,147,000 9,328,900 9,599,000 9,808,900 
			
			 Levy as Band D equivalent () 2.48 2.45 2.51 2.54 2.60 2.63 
		
	
	
		
			   
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Corporation of London 11,903 13,336 15,413 16,627 17,737 
			   
			  Inner London boroughs  
			 Camden 233,592 251,497 263,388 271,694 280,054 
			 Greenwich 199,465 208,714 221,220 228,724 235,288 
			 Hackney 157,839 172,874 188,172 198,974 208,145 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 199,821 214,202 218,165 224,928 234,198 
			 Islington 199,389 213,903 229,370 237,103 250,750 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 243,908 264,219 279,600 287,966 295,470 
			 Lambeth 259,126 267,581 283,057 293,919 302,613 
			 Lewisham 225,677 237,015 248,364 254,887 261,302 
			 Southwark 229,574 244,710 260,824 272,106 278,663 
			 Tower Hamlets 184,361 196,968 211,055 224,372 235,270 
			 Wandsworth 298,786 311,554 333,102 346,859 360,394 
			 Westminster 304,176 337,531 358,165 374,025 386,874 
			   
			  Outer London boroughs  
			 Barking and Dagenham 139,406 141,867 147,953 150,474 153,797 
			 Barnet 361,351 375,111 393,908 401,385 410,883 
			 Bexley 222,766 231,569 243,202 247,688 252,231 
			 Brent 243,655 257,427 270,299 279,409 285,063 
			 Bromley 349,231 361,826 382,232 392,308 402,003 
			 Croydon 336,585 342,595 361,794 367,655 377,234 
			 Ealing 299,097 311,945 327,384 336,162 343,818 
			 Enfield 280,899 296,199 311,476 317,164 328,075 
			 Haringey 214,505 226,461 242,463 248,785 256,429 
			 Harrow 222,697 232,444 245,358 250,529 257,820 
			 Havering 231,844 240,544 252,608 258,568 266,490 
			 Hillingdon 253,751 262,301 276,119 284,082 291,508 
			 Hounslow 215,122 228,073 243,013 249,650 255,876 
			 Kingston upon Thames 161,863 168,781 176,950 181,086 185,127 
			 Merton 192,031 199,031 208,632 213,639 219,455 
			 Newham 184,680 193,959 207,263 211,960 217,498 
			 Redbridge 233,772 243,915 256,414 263,099 266,751 
			 Richmond upon Thames 224,507 236,189 250,635 256,673 265,763 
			 Sutton 188,753 195,899 206,044 212,423 219,793 
			 Waltham Forest 195,074 202,601 212,237 221,577 226,187 
			   
			 All London 7,499,205 7,882,839 8,325,880 8,576,500 8,828,559 
			   
			 Hertfordshire 1,129,826 1,177,034 1,240,315 1,280,431 1,320,405 
			   
			 Essex 1,344,204 1,402,009 1,481,274 1,521,572 1,570,743 
			 Thurrock 129,765 136,118 144,531 150,503 155,194 
			 Southend on Sea  
			   
			 Total Levy 10,103,000 10,598,000 11,192,000 11,529,000 11,874,900 
			   
			 Levy as Band D equivalent () 2.68 2.78 2.91 2.97 3.04

Local Authorities

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will publish the business plans developed by the six local authorities on her Department's opt out pilot and reports from the opt out pilot group.

Iain Wright: holding answer 27 November 2007
	The model business plans developed by the six local authorities who took part in the project to test the costs and benefits of operating outside the housing revenue account subsidy system contain material provided on a confidential basis and therefore will not be published. The project group is however preparing a report for publication which summarises its findings, including data from the model business plans, anonymised where appropriate.

Local Authorities: Disclosure of Information

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has given to the regional chambers on whether they are subject to environmental information regulations, by virtue of carrying out functions of public administration.

John Healey: Guidance on the general principles of voluntary designation was issued to Regional Assemblies by the Minister of Communities and Local Government on 29 March 2006. Paragraph 20 of that guidance states that
	Assemblies should also be mindful of their duties under the Environmental Information Regulations.

Local Government Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the real terms percentage change in Government funding for local authorities, excluding education spending, was in each year since 1997-98.

John Healey: It is not possible to provide a figure for the amount of Government funding which has been provided for non-education expenditure because a significant proportion of expenditure was funded by Revenue Support Grant and redistributed non-domestic rates. These are not hypothecated to a particular service, and authorities are able to decide on their own spending priorities.

Local Government Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether revenue raised from the local authority business growth incentive scheme is ring-fenced.

John Healey: The Local Authority Business Growth Incentives scheme is designed to reward local authorities for increasing their business rateable value base by paying grant to authorities where business growth exceeds a certain level. Revenues under the scheme are not ring-fenced in any way.
	The Government have published an issues paper on possible reforms to the scheme:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/labgischemereforms
	This seeks views from respondents on a wide-range of issues, including on ring-fencing of business growth incentives payments.

Local Government Finance: Disabled People

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether funding for the disabled facilities grant is included in the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Iain Wright: Funding for Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) does not form part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. An announcement on funding for DFG will be made shortly.

Local Government Network: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what payments her Department has made to the Local Government Network in the last 24 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: None.

Planning: Land Use

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which areas of green belt she has earmarked for  (a) development and  (b) mitigation; and what areas of brownfield land she expects to be built on in the next 10 years.

Yvette Cooper: Local authorities, rather than the Secretary of State, have primary responsibility for planning and managing development in their areas. Local authorities are responsible for defining their green belt boundaries, in line with national policy, through their development plans. National Government policy on the green belt was confirmed in the Planning White Paper and Housing Green Paper. Government have set a national target that at least 60 per cent. of new housing development should be on brownfield land; currently around three quarters of housing development is on brownfield land.

Planning: North West Region

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will give guidance to the Government Office for the North West on liaison with hon. Members when major projects in their constituencies are under consideration by the Office.

Parmjit Dhanda: Guidance is currently being prepared and will be circulated to all Government Office officials shortly.

Planning: Public Participation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to produce a summary of responses to the consultation on the recent Planning White Paper.

Iain Wright: Alongside her written statement and publication of the Planning Bill on 27 November, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State published Planning White Paper Consultation: Government response to consultation replies which is a summary of consultation replies and the Government's response. The summary can be found on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/pwpgovernmentresponse

Planning: Renewable Energy

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received on maintaining the Merton Rule in the forthcoming Climate Change Planning Policy Statement.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 October 2007,  Official Report, column 380W, to the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker).

Planning: Retail Trade

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to review the needs test in planning guidance on out-of-town retail development.

Iain Wright: As set out in the Planning White Paper Planning for a Sustainable Future in May 2007, we are reviewing the current approach in Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres (PPS6) to assessing the impact of proposals outside town centres. We will replace the need and impact tests with a new test which has a strong focus on our town centre first policy, and which promotes competition and improves consumer choice, avoiding the unintended effects of the current need test.
	It remains our intention to take forward our White Paper commitment, and to consult on revisions to PPS6 in the new year.

Planning: Schools

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what planning guidance and circulars are in force in relation to planning permission for  (a) new schools and  (b) expansion of existing schools.

Iain Wright: Planning applications for the development of new schools or the expansion of existing schools need to take account of all of the Government's planning policies.
	'Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable development', will be of key relevance. This sets out the Government's overarching planning policies on the delivery of sustainable development through the planning system and asks local authorities to promote socially inclusive communities by having policies which address accessibility for all members of the community to education, leisure and community facilities.
	Other relevant policies include 'Planning Policy Guidance note 13: Transport' (PPG13), which sets out general policy on the location of a range of facilities and car parking provision, and 'Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable development in rural areas' (PPS7) which sets out the Government's policy on community services and facilities in rural areas, including schools. 'Planning Policy Guidance note 17: Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation' (PPG17) will also be of relevance as it relates to the planning for public and private sports facilities, playing fields and children's play areas. Circular 09/98: 'Town and Country Planning (playing fields) (England) Direction 1998' which relates to the loss of playing fields, whether for schools or for the wider community, will also be directly relevant.

Population: Herefordshire

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will break down the population of Herefordshire, by age group; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 10 December 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question asking for the breakdown of the population of Herefordshire by age group. I am replying in her absence. (170879)
	Table 1 shows the population by quinary age group for Herefordshire for mid-2006. These are the latest population estimates available.
	
		
			  Table 1: Mid-2006 population for Herefordshire UA, by quinary age group 
			  Thousand 
			  Age group  Population 
			 All Ages 178 
			   
			 0 2 
			 1-4 7 
			 5-9 10 
			 10-14 11 
			 15-19 11 
			 20-24 8 
			 25-29 7 
			 30-34 9 
			 35-39 12 
			 40-44 14 
			 45-49 13 
			 50-54 12 
			 55-59 14 
			 60-64 12 
			 65-69 10 
			 70-74 9 
			 75-79 7 
			 80-84 6 
			 85-89 3 
			 90+ 2 
			  Note: Figures may not add due to rounding.  Source: Office for National Statistics.

Regional Development Agencies

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers local authorities will have in relation to the integrated regional strategies of regional development agencies.

John Healey: The review of sub-national economic development and regeneration published on 17 July makes it clear that regional development agencies will be expected to work closely with local authorities and other partners to develop single regional strategies.
	The Government will be consulting on the detailed implementation of regional strategies early in 2008.

Regional Development Agencies

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the  (a) composition of the boards and  (b) procedures used to select board members for regional development agencies will be amended following the transfer of responsibilities for regional housing and planning from regional assemblies.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	RDA boards will remain business-led bodies. The expanded responsibilities of the RDAs as they assume their new role as the regional planning body, subject to parliamentary approval, will mean that the board will need to have a broader skills-set than at present. This will be reflected in specifications for appointments which are put out for consultation. RDA board appointments will continue to be made in accordance with the code on public appointments.

Regional Government

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research has been conducted into public  (a) approval of regional government and  (b) awareness and approval of Government Office regions.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested is as follows.
	 (a) None by this Department or its predecessor, the Office of The Deputy Prime Minister.
	 (b) In 2005 the Government Offices commissioned a survey of stakeholders. This will be repeated in 2008. A copy of the 2005 survey results will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Rented Housing

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to publish a summary and analysis of the responses to her Department's consultation on the Mechanism for Setting Guideline Rents in Housing Revenue Account subsidy 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Yvette Cooper: The summary and analysis of responses to the August 2007 consultation document 'Mechanism for setting guideline rents in housing revenue account subsidy 2008-09 and 2009-10' will form part of the draft housing revenue account subsidy determination 2008-09, which will be published shortly.

Rented Housing

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library copies of her Department's consultation on the 'Mechanism for setting guideline rents in housing revenue account subsidy 2008-09 and 2009-10'.

Yvette Cooper: I have arranged for copies of the August consultation document 'Mechanism for setting guideline rents in housing revenue account subsidy 2008-09 and 2009-10' to be deposited in the Library of the House.

Rented Housing

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect on tenants of the rental constraint allowance mechanism in the last three years.

Yvette Cooper: The rental constraint allowance (RCA) was part of the housing revenue account (HRA) subsidy regime for 2006-07 and 2007-08. Audited figures for 2006-07 will not be available until January 2008, meaning no formal assessment has been possible so far.

Schools: Transport

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the average cost per capita of school transport in predominantly  (a) rural and  (b) urban local authorities; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	The predicted average cost of school transport for the financial year 2007-08 per pupil in predominantly rural and urban local authorities is shown in the following table. The estimated costs are averaged across all pupils attending maintained schools: most do not use school transport. The costs in urban areas mainly relate to transport arrangements made for children with special educational needs.
	
		
			  The Education (Budget Statements) (England) Regulations 2007, budgeted net expenditure per pupil( 1, 2)  by local authorities( 3)  in England on school transport( 1) : 2007-08( 4) , cash terms figures( 4, 5)  as reported by local authorities as at 30th November 2007 
			   Budgeted net expenditure on school transport( 1)  per pupil( 2)  () 
			 England 120 
			   
			 Predominantly urban local authorities(3) 110 
			 Predominantly rural local authorities(3) 200 
			 (1) Includes all elements of school transport for school pupils. This is drawn from local authorities' 2007-08 Section 52 Budget Statements (Table 1 lines 1.2.5 - SEN transport, 2.4.6 - Home to school transport [SEN transport] and 2.4.7 - Home to school transport [other home to school transport]). (2) The January 2007 pupil numbers used to calculate the per pupil amounts are as reported by the local authority on their Section 52 Budget Statement (Table 2 column 13a) comprising of the full-time equivalent number pupils registered at the school used for the initial determination of the school's budget share under the local authority's allocation formula. (3) The classification of local authorities into those which are predominately urban and predominately rural is based upon The Rural and Urban Area Classification (2004) sponsored by the Countryside Agency (CA), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Office for National Statistics (ONS), the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and the Welsh Assembly Government. Predominantly rural local authorities are classified as those which consist of more than 50 per cent. rural Output Areas. (4) 2007-08 data remains provisional and subject to change by the local authority. (5) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Shared Ownership Schemes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many shared ownership completed sales were facilitated through her Department's homebuy schemes in 2006-07.

Yvette Cooper: There were 14,656 shared ownership completed sales through the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme in 2006-07.

Shared Ownership Schemes: North East Region

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her forecast is of the number of home purchases through  (a) New Build Homebuy and  (b) other shared ownership schemes in the North East over the next 12 months; and how many such purchases were made in each case in the last 12 months.

Yvette Cooper: The New Build HomeBuy scheme was launched in April 2006 to enable social tenants, key workers and other priority groups buy a share of a newly built property while paying rent on the remainder.
	Details of the number of purchases over the next 12 months are not yet available. The Housing Corporation are currently analysing the bids received for their 2008-11 programme following the bidding round which closed on 2 November.
	119 homes have been purchased through the New Build HomeBuy and other share-ownership schemes between April 2006 and September 2007 in the North East.

Rough Sleepers

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether funding for rough sleepers announced by her Department on 13 November was transferred funding from another area within the Government's spending plans over the last three years.

Iain Wright: The 70 million Places of Change programme announced on 13 November is new funding from the recent comprehensive spending review (CSR) for the next three years. This funding will continue the work over the past three years under the 90 million Hostels Capital Improvement Programme (which runs until March 2008) and will build upon its success. In total, the Department has invested 160 million since 2005 towards helping rough sleepers to move away from the streets and to enable them to move into independent or more appropriate supported accommodation.

Small Businesses: Non-Domestic Rates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many firms, defined as small businesses, were on the Valuation Office Agency's Ratings List in the latest period for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: There were 1,049,791 non-domestic properties, known as hereditaments, in England as at 17 November 2007 with a rateable value up to 10,000, the threshold for potentially qualifying for relief under the small business rate relief scheme. In addition, there were 57,908 hereditaments with rateable values between 10,001 and 21,499 in Greater London and 130,532 such properties with rateable values between 10,001 and 14,999 outside Greater London who may also qualify to have their rate liability calculated using the small business non-domestic rating multiplier. However, as well as not exceeding the relevant rateable value threshold, one of the conditions for relief is that the ratepayer may occupy only one hereditament in England. Those occupying multiple properties are not therefore eligible for relief, although small hereditaments with a rateable value below 2,200 are disregarded when considering whether the occupancy condition is met.

Social Rented Housing: Antisocial Behaviour Orders

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what right tenant management organisations and arm's length management organisations have to obtain antisocial behaviour orders.

Iain Wright: Local authorities have been provided with the discretion to decide whether they wish to delegate some or all of their antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) functions to arm's length and tenant management organisations since 11 May 2007 when regulations were made.
	This means an arm's length management or a tenant management organisation may apply to the courts for an ASBO when they and the parent local authority have agreed this is appropriate.

Standards Board for England: Sustainable Development

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department has conducted a sustainability appraisal in the light of the recent relocation announcement of the Standards Board for England.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 4 December 2007
	 A sustainability appraisal was not conducted when the Standards Board for England recently relocated. The Standards Board for England is not covered by the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets and associated mandates, which include the requirement to conduct sustainability appraisals when relocating offices.

Tourism: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government have taken to promote tourism in the west midlands since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 26 November 2007
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has provided the national tourism agency, VisitBritain (and its predecessor bodies), with funding since 1997 to promote Britain internationally, and England domestically, as an attractive tourist destination. The west midlands has benefited from this support for the sector, in common with the rest of the country.
	From 1997-98 to 2002-03, funding passed from the English Tourist Council (ETC, formerly the English Tourist Board) to the Heart of England Tourist Board (HETB), which represented both the east and west midlands. In 2003, the regional development agencies, including Advantage West Midlands (AWM), took on strategic responsibility for tourism support in the regions. Since then, AWM has worked with partners in the region to reorganise tourism support structures, including the development of Tourism West Midlands to oversee the delivery of the West Midlands Visitor Economy Strategy, and has allocated revenue funding to the development and promotion of tourism.
	AWM has led significant capital investment in tourism infrastructure and facilities through a number of funding streams, including European structural funds. Businesses in the tourism sector also benefit from access to skills and training programmes funded by the Learning and Skills Council, and business support schemes delivered through Business Link West Midlands.
	In addition, DCMS has made substantial investment in heritage, arts and culture since 1997. These sectors, in addition to their intrinsic value to the nation's cultural life, benefit the visitor economy by attracting visitors.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bangladesh: Politics and Government

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the  (a) political and  (b) economic situation in Bangladesh.

Kim Howells: We welcome the Caretaker government's commitment to hold elections by the end of 2008. Credible elections are vital to sustaining democracy in Bangladesh in the longer term. In creating the conditions for those credible elections, and healthier sustainable democracy, it is vital that the Caretaker government retains respect for individuals' rights and democratic and judicial processes.
	The rising cost of living in Bangladesh is a matter of concern for all Bangladeshis. The impact of Cyclone Sidr is expected to place further pressure on the economy. Effective management of the economy will be key over the next year and beyond.

Bosnia: Politics and Government

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed the political and security situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina with the High Representative, Miroslav Lajcak.

David Miliband: Our ambassador in Sarajevo routinely discusses the political and security situation in the country with the High Representative Miroslav Lajcak.

Corporate Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

David Miliband: Chapter 7 of the Ministerial Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.

Crime of Aggression Special Working Group

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2007,  Official Report, column 497W, on Crime of Aggression Special Working Group, what the Government's policy is on the proposal that a crime of aggression should not be investigated by the court in circumstances where the Security Council has not made a determination due to the use of the veto by one or more of the permanent members.

Kim Howells: Under the terms of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court no proposal to amend the Statute may be made until July 2009 at the earliest. If a proposal is made, the Government will give it full consideration in the light of circumstances at the time.
	The Government's view, as we continue to state in the Special Working Group, is that any proposal in relation to the crime of aggression must reflect the primary responsibility of the UN Security Council for the maintenance of peace and security as enshrined in the UN Charter.

Departmental Data Protection

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many security breaches regarding access to personal data have occurred within his Department in each year since 1997.

David Miliband: It has been the policy of successive Administrations not to comment on security matters other than in exceptional circumstances when it is in the public interest to do so.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of posts in his Department were recategorised from back office to frontline posts as classified by the Gershon efficiency review in each year since 2004.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is committed to achieving workforce reductions of 310 over the period April 2004 to April 2008. This is a net target and no posts reallocated to the frontline are included in this figure. The target for reduction excludes the FCO public services, Consular and UKvisas, which are fully funded by passport and visas income and have expanded in response to increased demand for their services.

Departmental Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) men and  (b) women of each civil service grade are employed by his Department.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) publishes diversity statistics for its UK-based staff in its Annual Departmental Report (Table 10). The Office for National Statistics also publishes the statistics in its Annual Civil Service Statistics. The figures from the most recent departmental report (as at 1 February 2007) are:
	
		
			  FCO grade  Civil servicewide equivalent  Men  Women 
			 Senior management structure Senior Civil Servant 347 72 
			 D Band Grades 6/7 700 326 
			 C Band Senior Executive Officer/Higher Executive Officer 1,145 720 
			 B Band Executive Officer 761 782 
			 A Band Administrative Officer/Administrative Assistant 521 671 
		
	
	Copies of the departmental report are available from the Library of the House.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining his Department's and its agencies' corporate identity; and what the estimated annual cost is of  (a) producing and  (b) complying with such guidelines.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not produce guidelines on maintaining its corporate identity.

Departmental Responsibilities

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) reviews,  (b) consultations and  (c) taskforces his Department is (i) responsible for and (ii) scheduled to undertake; on what date each (A) started and (B) is expected to be completed; and what the purpose is of each.

David Miliband: Information relating to ad hoc reviews, groups and taskforces is published at www.fco.gov.uk. Information on consultations is published on the 10 Downing street website at:
	www.pm.gov.uk
	I announced in July a review of priorities for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). This review, alongside the comprehensive spending review and the capability review, provides us with the opportunity to align our departmental priorities, resources and people. Following input from the public and other stakeholders, this exercise is now reaching a conclusion. We are working out the details and will inform Parliament and key stakeholders in due course. In addition the FCO is conducting a number of internal reviews aimed at improving our effectiveness. The FCO is participating in several cross-Whitehall reviews led by other Government Departments.

Embassies

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British embassies and consulates have been  (a) closed and  (b) opened in each of the last 10 years; and if he will list the closures by country.

David Miliband: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has closed eight British embassies, six British high commissions, and 18 British consulates since May 1997. Operations were also suspended at the British embassy, Abidjan, in April 2005 and the British consulate at Port-au-Prince in July 2005 owing to the security situation there.
	During the same period, the FCO opened seven British embassies, four British embassy offices, one British office and six British consulates. Three British consulates were also upgraded to British embassies.
	The FCO continuously reviews the deployment of its resources and aligns them flexibly in line with UK interests.
	In respect of the missions that have closed in the last 10 years, I refer the right hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the then Minister for Europe (Mr. Hoon) gave to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Ellwood) on 6 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 821-22W. Since this reply was given, the following missions have closed:
	In 2006-07, the British high commission in Kingstown, St.Vincent and the Grenadines.
	In 2007-08, the British high commissions in St. Johns, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Georges, Grenada are to be closed.

EU Reform: Treaties

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likely training requirements for officials of the EU External Action Service if the Treaty of Lisbon is ratified;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the likely  (a) size and  (b) budget of the EU External Action Service if the Treaty of Lisbon is ratified;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the likely recruitment procedure for officials of the EU External Action Service if the Treaty of Lisbon is ratified;
	(4)  whether his Department will have access to all documents produced by the EU External Action Service after ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon.

Jim Murphy: No decisions have yet been taken on the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service (EEAS), which will be agreed by member states. It is therefore too early to make an accurate assessment of its size, budget, information sharing procedures, staff training requirements, recruitment process or the funding arrangements for staff seconded from member states' diplomatic services to the EEAS.

EU Reform: Treaties

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to ensure that the final version of the European Union Reform Treaty is made available to hon. Members before the Treaty is signed on 14 December.

Jim Murphy: The final draft version of the EU Reform Treaty text, which will be prepared for formal signature on 13 December, was sent to the Clerks of the Foreign Affairs Committee, European Scrutiny Committee and the Lords EU Select Committee and to the Libraries of both Houses on 4 December. Once the Treaty is signed it will be laid before Parliament.

Germany: Foreign Relations

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent bilateral contacts he has had with the Foreign Minister of Germany.

Jim Murphy: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has frequent meetings and telephone contact with his German counterpart, in London, Berlin and in international fora, not least every month at the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council.
	We use these contacts to discuss the full range of bilateral, EU and international issues.
	I also have regular contact with my German counterpart, Europe Minister Gnter Closer and most recently met him during my visit to Berlin in November. Discussions covered the Global Europe agenda, the EU Reform Treaty, Kosovo and the forthcoming EU/Africa Summit.

Guantanamo Bay: Detainees

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he formally requested the return of British residents from Guantanamo detention facility; when he expects this to occur; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Government requested on 7 August 2007 the release from Guantanamo Bay and return to the UK of five men who, while not UK nationals, were legally resident here prior to their detention. We have made representations to the US in respect of these individuals. In some cases the resulting discussions are still ongoing; and despite media coverage over the weekend we cannot guarantee that representations in respect of any of these individuals will be successful. We are in touch with the families and legal representatives of all five individuals about the status of these discussions.

India: Abortion

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what checks are initiated by High Commission staff in New Delhi to ensure that no medical staff recommended by the High Commission are involved in practices associated with female foeticide.

Kim Howells: Our high commission in New Delhi selects doctors on the basis of their professional qualifications and skills, English language proficiency, experience with foreign patients, and on account of their exposure to and acknowledged adherence to a high standard of ethical medical practice. They are interviewed, visited, monitored and regularly assessed by the regional medical officer (a UK general practitioner) and by the health care team at the high commission.

Languages

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date the decision to close his Department's Diplomatic Service Language Centre was made; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: I am committed to maintaining the excellent language skills of Diplomatic Service staff and to modernising the ways in which those skills are acquired. Following a review of the provision of language training, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Services concluded in 2006 that its language teaching services cost between 15 and 40 per cent. more than comparable providers and that it should no longer provide language teaching services to the FCO.
	At the same time, the FCO conducted a policy review of language training which recommended a number of reforms, including more group and in-country teaching. These changes would further increase the cost of in-house teaching. The FCO therefore concluded that it would be a better use of public money to outsource the language teaching requirement. A key element in the new arrangements was a strict quality control and monitoring component to ensure that the quality of teaching was maintained. My right hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary (Margaret Beckett) approved the decision to close the Language Centre on 9 March 2007. Since then we have taken a number of further actions to implement this decision, culminating in the closure of the Language Centre in October 2007.

Languages: Education

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 205W, on languages: education, if he will place in the Library copies of the two reviews FCO Services conducted of its language training provision; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: A copy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) review of language training policy (1 May 2007) has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The FCO Services review, in relation to the competitiveness of FCO Services' provision of language training, contains commercially sensitive information and therefore will not be placed in the Library of the House.

Mexico: Human Rights

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Mexico on the safety of human rights defenders in that country with particular regards to Francisco, Emiliana and Alejandro Cerezo; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The EU has guidelines for the protection of human rights defenders. Human rights and the protection of human rights defenders, is a regular part of the dialogue between our embassy in Mexico City and the Mexican Government.
	Specific representations have not been made to the Mexican authorities about Francisco, Emiliana and Alejandro Cerezo. However, our embassy in Mexico City was represented at a meeting with Francisco Cerezo and Peace Brigades International on 3 December along with several other EU member states representatives.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) financial,  (b) staffing and  (c) other resources the Government have provided for the former Prime Minister in his role as Middle East Envoy for the Quartet.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Mr. Moore) on 15 November 2007,  Official Report, column 392W.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) financial,  (b) staffing and  (c) other resources the Government plan to provide over each of the next three years for the former Prime Minister in his role as Middle East Envoy for the Quartet.

Kim Howells: The Government will keep under close review how it can best support Mr. Blair's work.
	The UK has so far provided 400,000 to a UN Development Programme Trust Fund which provides operational and technical support to Mr. Blair's office in Jerusalem. The UK has also seconded four staff to his team. Other international donors are also supporting his work.
	The Government strongly support the work of the right hon. Tony Blair as Quartet representative. He is well placed to drive forward Palestinian capacity building, which is a clear priority. The Middle East Peace Process is one of our top priorities and the UK will continue to support the Quartet (US, EU, UN and Russia) and their representative, Mr. Blair, in their work.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether details of  (a) the role of the right hon. Tony Blair as the Middle East Envoy for the Quartet,  (b) his salary,  (c) his team,  (d) his costs and  (e) funding for the role will be published by the Quartet.

Kim Howells: The right hon. Tony Blair has been appointed by, and reports to, the Quartet (US, EU, UN and Russia). On 27 June, the Quartet principals announced the right hon. Tony Blair's appointment as Quartet representative. As set out in the Quartet statement of 27 June, his mandate is to:
	mobilise international assistance to the Palestinians, working closely with donors and existing co-ordination bodies;
	help to identify, and secure appropriate international support in addressing, the institutional governance needs of the Palestinian state, focusing as a matter of urgency on the rule of law;
	develop plans to promote Palestinian economic development, including private sector partnerships, building on previously agreed frameworks, especially concerning access and movement; and
	liaise with other countries as appropriate in support of the agreed Quartet objectives.
	Mr Blair is not paid a salary.
	It will be a matter for the Quartet to determine whether to publish details of Mr. Blair's team, costs and funding.

Pakistan: Politics and Government

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in Pakistan.

Kim Howells: The progress that has been made in recent weeks in Pakistan is to be welcomed. President Musharraf's announcement of elections on 8 January, his stepping down as Chief of the Army on 28 November and the declaration that the State of Emergency will be lifted on 16 December and the constitution restored are all important steps forward. The UK looks forward to the lifting of all remaining restrictions so that all parties are able to participate fully in the elections. There must be a level playing field for all to ensure the elections are free and fair. We fully support the decision of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala last month to suspend Pakistan from the Councils of the Commonwealth. We hope that Pakistan will rapidly meet the conditions which will allow full membership of the Commonwealth to be restored.

Russia: Military Aircraft

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Russian government on the recent incident in November when a Russian military aircraft penetrated UK airspace along the Wash.

Jim Murphy: Russian military aircraft have not entered UK national airspace without permission and we have not made any representations to the Russian government.

Russia: Ukraine

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of negotiations between Russia and the Ukraine on the price of gas; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The hon. Member will be aware that Russia and the Ukraine announced an agreed gas price for 2008 of US$179.5 per 1,000 cubic metres on 4 December 2007. The Government encourage parties to negotiations such as these to come to a commercially viable, transparent price settlement that ensures predictability and reliability of supply, both to domestic and external customers.

Saudi Arabia

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives of the Saudi Arabian government; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last met his Royal Highness Prince Saud at Annapolis on 26 to 27 November.

Somalia: Armed Conflict

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations has he received from the government of Ethiopia requesting military  (a) equipment and  (b) advice to assist them in operations in Somalia.

Meg Munn: The Government have not received any requests from Ethiopia to provide military equipment for, or advice on, Ethiopia's operations in Somalia. Nor has any such assistance been offered.

Thomas Hurndall

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he is giving to the Hurndall family in their representations to the Israeli Government of the case of the killing of Tom Hurndall and the subsequent conviction of an Israeli soldier.

Kim Howells: I understand that the Hurndall family is pursuing a private compensation claim through the Israeli courts. It would not be appropriate for the Government to intervene in a case currently before the courts, but officials continue to encourage the Israeli government to reach a settlement with the family.
	I wrote to the Hurndall family on 4 July 2007, to reaffirm our continued interest in a resolution to this case. Officials stand ready to provide any further advice and consular assistance on this matter.

Timor-Leste: Human Rights

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) correspondence and  (b) discussions he has had in response to the finding in November of the Coroner of New South Wales that British citizens Brian Peters, Malcolm Rennie and other newsmen were killed deliberately in Timor-Leste in 1975; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Neither my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary nor I have had any discussions nor received any correspondence on the recent verdict of the New South Wales Coroner's Court inquest into the death of Brian Peters. Nor have we had any discussions or received any correspondence regarding Malcolm Rennie or the other journalists killed in 1975.
	We have noted the verdict of the inquest which is the outcome of a judicial process run by the New South Wales Coroner's Court. The New South Wales Deputy Coroner has said that she will now refer the matter to the Australian Attorney-General. It will be for the Australian Attorney-General to decide how to take this forward. We will continue to follow this case closely.

Turkmenistan: Oppression

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what recent representations his Department has made to the Turkmenistan authorities on freeing people imprisoned for acts of peaceful political dissent;
	(2)  what recent representations his Department has made to the Turkmenistan authorities on allowing independent international monitors free access to places of detention and detainees;
	(3)  what recent representations his Department has made to the Turkmenistan Government on that country's use of foreign travel restrictions.

Jim Murphy: My hon. Friend the Minister for Energy (Malcolm Wicks) raised human rights concerns during his visit to Turkmenistan in September. Our embassy in Ashgabat will continue to lobby the Turkmen Government with our EU partners in support of individual cases. Mufti Ibadullah and Geldy Kyarisov were among a number of prisoners of concern who were released this year, after UK and EU lobbying. Maral Yklimova too was allowed to leave the country.
	An ad hoc meeting on human rights took place in the margins of the EU's Joint Committee meeting with the Turkmen Government in Ashgabat in September 2007. Issues raised included the importance of allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisoners, further relaxing restrictions on foreign travel and individual prisoners of concern. Human rights were also raised during President Berdimuhamedov's visit to Brussels in November when he met Mr. Barroso, Mr. Solana and the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Energy Commissioners.
	We welcome the action the Turkmen Government has taken so far to begin to relax travel restrictions and to encourage Turkmens to travel and study abroad, but there remains a long way to go. We hope that the recent willingness by the Turkmen Government to engage with the EU, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, the UN and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe under President Berdimuhamedov will lead to positive, substantive progress on human rights and democratic reform. We will continue to work with international partners to build on the work the Turkmen Government has begun on fulfilling its human rights obligations through civil society development, good governance and the rule of law.

Venezuela

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 705W, on Venezuela, what specific assessment he has made of  (a) the personnel involved and  (b) the funding streams of the Venezuelan chapter, Transparencia Venezuela, of Transparency International.

Kim Howells: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 705W.

Whales

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to change international law to prevent whaling being undertaken under the guise of scientific research.

Meg Munn: The UK takes every appropriate opportunity to condemn all lethal whaling operations carried out under the guise of 'scientific' research. Japan carries out this research legally under the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW), the parent treaty of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
	The UK believes the IWC is the internationally recognised body for the management and conservation of whale stocks and any amendment to the ICRW would need to be ratified by all parties. The UK sees no advantage in pressing for the termination or renegotiation of the 1948 International Whaling Convention, as this is the legal instrument by which a general moratorium on commercial whaling has been upheld since 1986. In addition, Japan is unlikely to sign up to a new convention that restricts her current 'scientific' whaling.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Electricity

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department has implemented to improve the availability of electricity to local nationals in Southern Afghanistan; and how much money was spent on such projects in each year since 2005.

Douglas Alexander: Over 2006-08, DFID committed 7 million to Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) in Helmand for reconstruction and development projects.
	In 2006-07, as a QIPs project, we allocated 15,000 to fix three electricity generators in Sangin District in Helmand Province. This provided immediate access to electricity for approximately 500 homes in the district.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 153W, on Afghanistan: reconstruction, if he will place in the Library copies of the last three studies by the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit on the effect of humanitarian and development programmes in Afghanistan.

Shahid Malik: The last three studies by the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit on the impact of humanitarian and development programmes are:
	1. Cops or Robbers? The Struggle to Reform the Afghan National Police, by Andrew Wilder
	2. A Matter of Interests: Gender and the Politics of Presence in Afghanistan's Wolesi Jirga, by Anna Wordsworth
	3. Finding the Money: Informal Credit practices in Rural Afghanistan, by Floortje Klijn and Adam pain
	Copies of these studies will be placed in the Library of the House.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 153W, on Afghanistan: reconstruction, if he will  (a) place in the Library a copy of his Department's funded study by the Peace Dividend Trust and  (b) state how many Peace Dividend Trust studies relating to Afghanistan his Department has funded.

Shahid Malik: A copy of the DFID-funded Peace Dividend Trust study 'Afghan Compact Procurement Monitoring' will be placed in the Library of the House.
	We have not funded the Peace Dividend Trust to produce any further studies relating to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Transport

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department has implemented to improve ground transport for local nationals in Southern Afghanistan; and how much was spent on such projects in each year since 2005.

Douglas Alexander: Over 2006-08, DFID committed 7 million to Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) in Helmand for reconstruction and development projects.
	Under QIPs, we have spent 2.8 million on improving ground transport in Helmand Province. This includes projects such as bridge repairs, support to Afghanistan traffic police, provision of road building machinery and a bus station.
	In addition, in 2007 under the DFID-supported Helmand Agricultural and Rural Development Programme (HARDP), 696,310 has been spent on the provision of 59 km of road in Lashkar Gar District, Helmand Province.

Bangladesh: Overseas Aid

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development from which budget the recently announced 7 million to aid relief efforts in Bangladesh following Cyclone Sidr will be taken; and whether this money is additional funding that has not previously been announced.

Shahid Malik: The 7 million for cyclone relief has not previously been announced. Of this total, 4.5 million has been allocated from underspends this financial year in the Bangladesh country programmecaused mainly by the complex political situation in Bangladeshand 2.5 million from DFID's central humanitarian and emergency aid budget. The reallocated underspend reflects normal in-year adjustments against forecast spending; these funds have not been diverted from existing projects or programmes.

Bangladesh: Overseas Aid

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the relief effort in Bangladesh following Cyclone Sidr.

Gareth Thomas: The emergency response has been rapid, especially that of the Government of Bangladesh, who have taken a strong co-ordination lead. Relief efforts have reached nearly all affected areas, but there is room for better co-ordination in reaching the ultra-poor and most needy. The water availability crisis has passed, owing to the high attention given to this by the Government, supported by others, including the military and some donors. However, a large number of people remain in makeshift camps that are still in urgent need of water, sanitation and hygiene support. The UK is looking to support meeting these short to medium-term needs by allocating 2.5 million, from our 7 million pledge for cyclone relief, to CARE, OXFAM GB, and Save the Children UK. This will focus on water, sanitation and hygiene promotion in the most affected areas.

Bangladesh: Overseas Aid

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) financial and  (b) other aid has been pledged by the UK to the Bangladesh relief effort; and what progress is being made on the delivery of this aid.

Gareth Thomas: The UK has pledged 7 million for Cyclone Sidr relief in Bangladesh. The first tranche of 2.5 million went through the United Nations Development Programme and has been providing immediate assistance in the form of food, clean and safe water, medical treatment and housing repairs since the relief operations started. The second tranche of 2.5 million has been programmed through Save the Children UK, Oxfam GB and CARE to focus on water, sanitation and hygiene promotion needs. These NGOs are already operational in the cyclone affected areas. Out of the remaining 2 million, the UK Government have provided non-food items, such as blankets and jerry cans, to 70,000 families in the worst affected districts and 12 boats to help with the relief operationof which four have been provided to Save the Children, four to the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee and four to the Government of Bangladesh for the emergency disaster response. The remaining funds are being programmed for the restoration of livelihoods and disaster management co-ordination.

Bangladesh: Politics and Government

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Bangladesh.

Shahid Malik: As of 1 December 2007, the Government of Bangladesh have reported 3,275 dead, 39,773 injured and 871 missing. They also estimate that the cyclone has affected approximately 30 of Bangladesh's 64 districts, primarily in Barisal and Khulna Divisions, with more than 8.5 million people affected.
	The UK Government has provided 7 million for Cyclone Sidr relief in Bangladesh. The first tranche of 2.5 million went through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to provide immediate assistance in the form of food, clean and safe water, medical treatment, and housing repairs. The second tranche of 2.5 million will be programmed through Save the Children UK, Oxfam GB, and CARE, to focus on short to medium-term needs such as water, sanitation and hygiene promotion. The remaining 2 million will be for improving access, provision of non-food items such as blankets, disaster management co-ordination and the restoration of livelihoods.

Corporate Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

Douglas Alexander: Chapter 7 of the 'Ministerial Code' sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.

Departmental Travel

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how much his Department spent on  (a) business and  (b) first class air travel in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how much was spent by his Department on first class train tickets in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's expenditure on flights booked centrally for the 12-month period April 2006 to March 2007 was 6,876,805, including business class flights costing 5,726,318 and first class flights costing 41,922.
	Staff rules preclude use of first class travel, except by Ministers, officials accompanying them, and the most senior members of the senior civil service. Rules relating to the use of air travel and fare entitlements are set out in the Staff Handbook.
	DFID's expenditure on UK train tickets for the 12-month period April 2006 to March 2007 was 366,684.
	Data distinguished between classes of travel are not routinely maintained and could not be produced without the incurring of disproportionate cost. Staff may travel first class when they are travelling overnight or expected to work during the journey.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

Douglas Alexander: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation are contained in the 'Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers' list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is made in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Environmental Transformation Fund: Sustainable Development

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how he plans to ensure that projects funded by the Environmental Transformation FundInternational Window meet sustainability standards.

Gareth Thomas: The 800 million Environmental Transformation Fund International Window (ETF-IW) will support development and poverty reduction through better environmental protection and help poor countries respond to climate change. We want to make the ETF-IW part of a wider multilateral effort and we are working with the World Bank, recipient countries, implementing agencies and key stakeholders on the design of a new multi-donor trust fund.
	During this design process, criteria will be agreed to ensure that all the investments made from the fund are sustainable, support poverty reduction and maximise environmental transformation. All investments made from the multi-donor fund will also need to meet the Equator Principles as well as the safeguard standards of the World Bank and the respective implementing agencies.

Ghana: Schools

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department provides for the construction of new schools or existing schools in  (a) Ghana and  (b) Nigeria.

Gareth Thomas: DFID provides support for the construction of new school buildings through two programmes which provide budget support to the Government of Ghana for the implementation of its education sector plan:
	In 2007-08, 40 million is being provided through the general multi-donor budget support programme. Of this sum, over 30 per cent. will be channelled into education, along with funds from other sources, including the Government's own revenues;
	An additional 10 million has been provided by DFID in sector budget support, earmarked for education.
	A large proportion of these funds are used for construction of new school infrastructure in both new and existing schools. The Ministry of Education reports that 2,322 new classrooms have been built in 2007 (in primary and junior secondary schools). Toilet blocks, furniture and, in some poorer areas, housing for teachers are also provided. Smaller amounts of UK funding are also provided for school construction through EC micro-projects, through the World Bank, and through the Education For All fast track initiative.
	For the last six years, DFID has been supporting the Government of Nigeria, at both state and federal level, to build the capacity to use its own resources more effectively in the provision of basic education including school construction. Support is focused on three major initiatives all of which seek to improve school facilities:
	DFID's capacity building for universal basic education project (CUBE) supports capacity building in Kano, Kaduna and Kwara states, including in the implementation of the World Bank's state education sector project (SESP). The wider SESP will support the renovation and construction of classrooms in 98 schools in the three states;
	The 26 million girls education project (GEP) is funded by DFID and implemented by UNICEF in six Nigerian states (all six of which have large numbers of girls out of school). GEP provides support for educational materials, some minor renovation work and water points and toilets for 720 schools in the six states.
	From 2008, DFID's new 106 million education sector support programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN) will provide technical assistance to up to six Nigerian states to improve the planning, procurement and construction of schools, including the provision of small grants to communities to help them manage and improve local facilities.

Howard Horsley

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department followed all the provisions of its  (a) approved departmental performance appraisal process and  (b) departmental disciplinary procedure, including contingent provisions, in relation to the dismissal of Howard Horsley.

Shahid Malik: Mr. Howard Horsley's dismissal in January 2000 was entirely consistent with the processes and terms and conditions of his employment under his fixed term Technical Co-operation Officer contract.

Illegal Immigrants

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many illegal immigrants were discovered working for his Department and its agencies in the last year for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: No illegal immigrants have been discovered working in DFID or its agencies in the last year. Employment in the civil service is done in accordance with the civil service nationality rules, which are available at:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/nationality

Postal Services

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how many items of post sent by his Department were reported missing by the intended recipient in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to protect the personal data on members of the public which it holds.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Schools: Construction

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of school buildings approved by his Department were built to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method  (a) very good and  (b) excellent standard in each of the last five years; and what the construction cost of those buildings was.

Gareth Thomas: No buildings have been constructed or approved by DFID in the UK in the last five years. The last construction project prior to this period was a new annexe to our East Kilbride office, which achieved an excellent rating against the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method.

South East Asia: Rain Forests

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has held on measures to end the destruction of tropical forest caused by the expansion of biofuel plantations in South East Asia.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	My Department has had discussions on this issue, at both ministerial and official level, with the Indonesian and Malaysian Governments, and with other UK Government Departments and industry stakeholders.
	The Government are pursuing measures at home, in the EU and internationally to help ensure biofuels are produced sustainably, without the destruction of tropical forests.

Sudan: Overseas Aid

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much development assistance he has been provided to  (a) the people of  (b) NGOs working in and  (c) the Government of Sudan in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: In 2006-07, the last year for which complete figures are available, DFID provided 110 million in humanitarian and development assistance to Sudan. Of this, 27 million went directly to NGOs operating in Sudan. The remainder was channelled through the United Nations and other development agencies such as the World Bank. The majority of this funding, however, was directed to NGOs as project implementing partners. No DFID assistance was given directly to the Government of Sudan.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Darfur, Sudan.

Gareth Thomas: The humanitarian situation in Darfur remains critical. Malnutrition rates have risen sharply since the heavy rains in the autumn, particularly in the camps. Ongoing violence has led to a further 260,000 people being displaced this year alone, adding to the more than 2 million people already living in camps across the region. The camps are overstretched and becoming increasingly volatile. The increase in needs has been compounded by an escalation of attacks by armed groups against humanitarian agencies. This is having a serious impact on the ability of humanitarian agencies to deliver vital aid to those in need.
	The UK is the second largest bilateral donor in Sudan, having given over 275 million in humanitarian aid since 2004, over 145 million of which has gone to Darfur. The UK is playing a leading role in improving the effectiveness of the humanitarian response such as the 40 million 2007 contribution to the Common Humanitarian Fund. The UK is also a strong supporter of international efforts to build on local-level peace-building and the AU-UN-led Darfur peace talks which commenced on 27 October in Libya. We urge all parties to commit to full participation in the next phase of talks.

Young People

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff aged between 16 and 18 were employed by his Department  (a) directly and  (b) through an employment agency in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of these were given time off work to undertake some form of training; and what proportion were provided with some form of training (i) wholly and (ii) partially funded by his Department.

Shahid Malik: The number of new staff aged between 16 and 18 employed directly by DFID in the last 10 years is as follows:
	
		
			   1998  2000  2001  2004  2006  Total 
			 Age 16 0 1 2 0 0 3 
			 Age 17 0 1 1 0 0 2 
			 Age 18 1 1 1 1 1 5 
			 Total 1 3 4 1 1 10 
		
	
	DFID has no central record of the proportion of these staff undertaking some form of training, or the funding arrangements. This information could be gathered only at a disproportionate cost. DFID does not hold age-related information for agency staff.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe.

Gareth Thomas: The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate, as a result of economic mismanagement made worse by the effects of a severe drought during the last growing season. An estimated 4.1 million people will need international food aid by the end of the year. Malnutrition has reached concerning levels in a number of districts. The collapse of urban water and sanitation systems in Zimbabwe's main cities has increased numbers of life-threatening diarrhoea outbreaks. HIV/AIDS remains a major problem with 1.8 million affected.
	DFID's aid programme is providing substantial direct assistance to protect the livelihoods of more than 1.5 million poor people in Zimbabwe, tackle HIV/AIDS and help meet humanitarian needs. This year we have made an additional contribution of 8 million to the World Food Programme to ensure that food aid reaches those who need it most and 1 million to UNICEF to prepare for and respond to emergency disease outbreaks.

JUSTICE

Administrative Law

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for judicial review were lodged on behalf of failed asylum seekers facing removal in each of the last five years; what percentage were granted in each year; what proportion these cases comprised of the number of cases before the Administrative Court in each year; and what the approximate cost was of each case.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  (a) Number of applications for judicial review lodged on behalf of failed asylum seekers facing removal in each of the last five years 
			   Number 
			 2007 to 5 December 2,849 
			 2006 2,841 
			 2005 2,265 
			 2004 1,343 
			 2003 2,062 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) What percentage were allowed in each year 
			   Percentage 
			 2007 to 5 December 0.46 
			 2006 0.88 
			 2005 1.02 
			 2004 1.27 
			 2003 1.45 
			  Note: The statistics provided are for those applications lodged and those applications allowed within a specified calendar year only. However it will not be the case that the applications allowed within a particular calendar year are the same applications that were lodged in that year. For example an application lodged in 2003 may well have been allowed in 2004. 
		
	
	
		
			  (c) What proportion did these cases comprise of the total number of cases before the administrative court 
			  Percentage 
			 2007 to 5 December 0.12 
			 2006 0.23 
			 2005 0.21 
			 2004 0.24 
			 2003 0.42 
		
	
	For the data in parts (b) and (c) it has been assumed that the reference to granted is intended to mean allowed. If a judicial review is allowed this indicates that the court is satisfied that the claimant has established his or her case. The remedy will be at the discretion of the court.
	 (d) What was the approximate cost of each case
	To provide a complete breakdown of approximate costs for each case is not possible since this information is not recorded by the Administrative Court Office. To do so would be to incur disproportionate cost. The most recent estimates for approximate costs for judicial review applications include the cost of administrative staff time and judicial time for the permission hearing only. These estimates were produced in June 2006 and amount to 473.17 per case.
	This estimate does not take into account middle and senior management time, other judicial timeparticularly, but not limited to, the substantive hearingor any overheads such as heating, lighting and other accommodation costs. Further, it does not take into account the legal funding costs which would be a matter for the Legal Services Commission.

Carter Report

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to his statement of 5 December 2007 on the Carter Report, whether the three titan prisons referred to will be run and staffed by the public sector.

David Hanson: It is anticipated that the provision of up to three large titan prisons will be subject to a competitive procurement exercise. Each case will, however, will be considered on its own merits.

Compensation: Industrial Diseases

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 29 October 2007 to the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire, North (Jim Sheridan),  Official Report, column 798W, on compensation: industrial diseases, if he will reconsider his decision not to bring forward legislative proposals to provide for compensation to people who have contracted pleural plaque as a result of exposure to asbestos in the workplace.

Bridget Prentice: In my answer of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 798W, to the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire, North (Jim Sheridan), I indicated that the Government had decided that it would not be appropriate to legislate on this issue. That remains the Government's view.
	The House of Lords reached a unanimous decision that pleural plaques do not constitute actionable or compensatable damage. The decision is based on fundamental principles of the law of negligencefirst that compensation can only be payable where there is actual damage, and secondly that compensation is not payable simply for the risk or the worry that something might happen in the future.
	Overturning these fundamental principles in the case of pleural plaques would create uncertainty in the law and could raise the possibility of claims being made much more widely for the risk of an illness occurring or for worry that something might happen. This would considerably increase the level of litigation and the possibility of weak or spurious claims, and could have damaging effects on business and the economy.

Departmental Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and its agencies have spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: This is the first year that a Ministry of Justice Christmas card has been produced by our print room. To date, 6,000 have been ordered at a cost of 34 pence each, totalling 2,040. These cards are not centrally funded, and business areas will cover the costs of the cards they have ordered from their stationery budgets.
	It is not possible to get information for previous years' spend on Christmas cards as these will have been ordered by each business area separately, and will be recorded in the Department's accounts under stationery.
	Christmas parties are not funded by the Department. Staff will contribute to the cost of Christmas parties themselves, contributions will be made by senior staff, or awards will be made through reward and recognition in line with departmental guidelines.
	The cost of trees and decorations for the central London HQ buildings is as follows:
	 2007
	Trees460.40 plus VAT
	Decorations325.90 plus VAT
	 2003-06
	Records were not kept for these years, however due to a change in our financial record keeping this information is now documented.
	 Archway Tower
	 2006
	Trees, decorations and labour809.00 plus VAT
	 2005
	Trees, decorations and labour966.00 plus VAT
	 2003-04
	Records not kept beyond this date.
	 Conquest House
	No money has been spent on Christmas trees and decorations since 2002.
	 Chancery Lane
	Nil response due to no records kept.
	The information for agencies can only be gathered at a disproportionate cost, as each building would order its own trees and decorations.

Departmental Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much has been paid in consultancy fees by his Department since its establishment;
	(2)  how much was paid in consultancy fees by the Lord Chancellor's Department from 1997 to 2000-01.

Maria Eagle: From April 1997 until March 2001, the amounts spent by the Lord Chancellor's Department's on external consultants was as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 1997-98 0.7 
			 1998-99 1.2 
			 1999-2000 1.9 
			 2000-01 2.6 
		
	
	Spend with external consultants since the Ministry of Justice was established on 9 May 2007 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	However, from April 2007 until September 2007, the former Department for Constitutional Affairs and those bodies that were formerly part of the Home Office and which are now part of the Ministry of Justice, spent 5.5 million with external consultants.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining his Department's and its agencies' corporate identity; and what the estimated annual cost is of  (a) producing and  (b) complying with such guidelines.

Maria Eagle: My Department, the Ministry of Justice, has placed copies of Ministry of Justice, Her Majesty's Courts Service, Office for Criminal Justice Reform, National Offender Management Service, Office of the Public Guardian and Tribunals Service corporate identity guidelines in the Libraries of the House. HM Prison Service does not have guidelines available.
	My Department spent the following on producing guidelines. These are one-off costs (excluding VAT) that occur in the year indicated when each organisation was established. My Department does not produce new guidelines every year.
	
		
			   Date   
			 Ministry of Justice HQ May 2007 27,800 
			 Her Majesty's Courts Service April 2005 13,130 
			 Office of the Public Guardian October 2007 30,000 
		
	
	For my other agencies, the Office for Criminal Justice Reform (established 2004), the National Offender Management Service (established 2005), the Tribunals Service (established 2006) and HM Prisons Service, figures are not available and to attempt to provide a figure would be disproportionate to the cost.
	I am unable to identify how much staff time is spent on complying with the corporate guidelines without incurring disproportionate costs.

Leeds Magistrates Court

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many outstanding Failure to Appear warrants there were in each year since 1997  (a) in England and Wales and  (b) issued at Leeds magistrates court.

Maria Eagle: The information requested has only been collected since April 2005, although a snapshot of performance was conducted in August 2004. The figures relate only to failure to appear warrants (FTAs) and demonstrate a 54 per cent. reduction in outstanding warrants since August 2004.
	The data that are available are summarised as follows:
	
		
			  Warrants issued  England and Wales( 1)  West Yorkshire( 1)  Warrants outstanding  England and Wales( 2)  West Yorkshire( 2) 
			 Pre 2005 (3) (3) As at August 2004 65,321 1,640 
			 During 2005-06 163,993 10,643 As at April 2005 50,457 1,423 
			As at March 2006 37,541 992 
			 During 2006-07 146,936 9,531 As at March 2007 30,907 802 
			 April to June 2007 35,678 2,219 As at June 2007 29,790 729 
			 (1 )Figures are totals issued in the period specified. (2) Figures are a snapshot of the rolling total of all FTA warrants outstanding in the specified month, regardless of when they were issued. They do not simply relate to those warrants outstanding that were issued in that same year. (3 )Data not collected.

Offenders: Learning Disability

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what national standards exist for the level of care and support for offenders with learning difficulties while  (a) in custody and  (b) after release.

Maria Eagle: People with learning disabilities have the same rights as other citizens. Under the Disability Discrimination Act (1995, and as revised in 2005), all public bodies must not discriminate against disabled people or provide a poorer quality of service because of their disability. The Act extends to people with learning disabilities.
	To help ensure they receive the extra support to which they are entitled under the Disability Discrimination Act, the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP), part of the Department of Health, has produced the document 'Positive Practice: Positive Outcomes; A handbook for Professionals in the Criminal Justice System working with Offenders with Learning Disabilities' (CSIP, 2007).
	This sets out the support that must be provided by the police, the courts, in prisons and on probation.
	A copy is available in the Library by and it is also available on the CSIP website at,
	http://www.kc.csip.org.uk/viewresource.php?action=viewdocumentdoc=98519grp=l

Offenders: Saudi Arabia

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of Saudi Arabian nationals with criminal convictions  (a) conducting business and  (b) living in the United Kingdom.

David Hanson: The requested information is not available. The recording by the police on the police national computer of the nationality of offenders in England and Wales is optional as there is no legislative obligation on individuals to provide this information. For this reason reliable statistics on the nationality of offenders cannot be compiled. In addition, the police national computer does not hold information on whether offenders are conducting business or currently living in the UK.

Penalty Notices: Alcoholic Drinks

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) 10 to 13,  (b) 14 to 15 and  (c) 16 to 17-year-olds were (i) cautioned, (ii) prosecuted and (iii) in receipt of a penalty notice for disorder for purchasing alcohol under age in (A) the Uxbridge constituency, (B) Greater London, broken down by London borough and (C) England, in the last three years for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested on prosecutions, cautions and penalty notices in England in the years 2004 to 2006 is provided in the table. There were no court proceedings, cautions or PNDs reported to the Ministry of Justice for the offences requested in Greater London.
	Data broken down by constituency area and London borough are not held by the Ministry of Justice.
	
		
			  Number of defendants aged 10 to 17 proceeded against at magistrates courts, offenders cautioned and the number of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) issued for  purchasing alcohol illegally by age group, England 2004 to 2006( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			   Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts  Offenders cautioned  PNDs issued( 4) 
			   10-13  14-15  16-17  10-13  14-15  16-17  16-17 
			 2004  1 9  7 20 (5) 
			 2005   12  7 15 16 
			 2006  2 7 1 3 9 58 
			 (1) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. (2 )These data are on the principal offence basis. (3 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4 )The offence of illegal purchasing of alcohol by an underage person was added to the penalty notice for disorder scheme on the 4 April 2005. (5 )Not applicable.

Peterborough Rape Crisis

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect on the work of the Peterborough Rape Crisis organisation of the withdrawal of Victims Fund grant monies from 1 January 2008; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much of the 3 million funding for specialist services for sexual crimes will be allocated to the Peterborough Rape Crisis organisation; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to my reply on 6 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1460W.

Police National Computer

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  on how many occasions cases involving recordable sexual offences have not been placed on the Police National Computer in  (a) Leeds and  (b) England and Wales;
	(2)  how many case conclusions involving recordable offences have so far been identified as not having been placed on the Police National Computer in  (a) Leeds and  (b) England and Wales;
	(3)  how many Leeds magistrates court employees  (a) have been and  (b) are the subject of disciplinary proceedings related to the (i) recording of outcomes of cases, (ii) updating of the Police National Computer and (iii) withdrawal of warrants; when such disciplinary proceedings began; and what the outcomes were of those proceedings which have been completed;
	(4)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 44-46WS, on Leeds magistrates court, in what ways the Government's 2006 guidance was breached in those cases where a warrant was withdrawn in error;
	(5)  how many defendants due to come before Leeds magistrates court have been identified as having had warrants wrongly withdrawn.

Jack Straw: I refer the hon. Member to my written statement on 29 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 44-46WS, on Leeds magistrates courts. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Courts Administration has been asked to work with the chief inspectors for the constabulary and the Crown Prosecution Service, to conduct a thorough inspection and prepare a report to Ministers on the resulting and warrant processes at Leeds magistrates court.
	An experienced judge, district judge (magistrates court) Tony Browne, has also been appointed to conduct an investigation of the judicial responsibilities of legal advisers at Leeds magistrates court. We have also started investigating the national processes and practices for withdrawing warrants across the CIS agencies. HMCS have also been asked to look again at the information they gathered in their pro-active national review of the effectiveness of resulting processes in magistrates courts (in January 2007), and report on any outstanding issues.
	It is these inspections and investigations which should provide the reliable data of the kind sought by the hon. Member.
	It would be wrong to pre-empt the outcome of those investigations. I will make a further statement to the House on the findings and facts relating to all these matters, the action that has been taken and the action that will be taken when the investigations have concluded. The inspectorate report will be published to Parliament.

Prisoners: Video Games

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 486-87W, on prisoners: video games, what criteria and guidance the Government issue to prohibit prisoners from accessing computer games which may have extreme violent, racist or sexually inappropriate themes; which games have been banned from prisons under these criteria; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Prison service order 1250 Prisoners Property provides guidance to governors about all items of in possession property, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. Governors prohibit any item they consider to be a potential risk to security, health and safety, or the good order or discipline of the establishment such as computer games that are of an extreme violent, racist or sexual nature. There are no central data available about which games have been prohibited by governors.

Prisons: Learning Disability

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions have taken place between those responsible for the Dore programme and the Prison Service.

David Hanson: There have been no discussions that have taken place between the Prison Service and those responsible for the Dore programme as there are no formal links with the provider. The Dore programme no longer runs at HMP Stafford or any other prison. The programme does however continue to be run independently within the community and prisoners are referred to the programme on release.

Prisons: Manpower

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of prison officers younger than 21 years old working in prisons where the youngest prisoners are aged 21 years.

Maria Eagle: No assessment has been made of prison officers working in prisons where the youngest prisoners are aged 21 or over, nor has this been raised formally as an issue. Out of a total of 25,303 prison officers, only 83 (0.3 per cent.) are below the age of 21.
	The recruitment process for prison officers is by way of a job simulation assessment centre to assess that candidates are competent to undertake the role. If they are successful in the assessment process, they are deemed capable to work in any prison establishment.
	The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, which came in to force on 1 October 2006, outlaw the use of minimum recruitment ages unless they can be objectively justified.
	While on duty, prison officers hold the powers of a constable and currently share a common minimum recruitment age of 18 with the police services.
	The minimum age requirement for prison officers was first reduced from 21 to 20 years in 1987.

Prisons: Mental Health

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what reception screening is in place for mental health needs in prisons.

Maria Eagle: All prisoners, both new prisoners and those transferred in from one prison to another, benefit from a new health screening process, introduced across the prison estate in 2004, that is designed to detect physical and mental health problems.
	Work by Professor Grubin and colleagues led to the roll-out of a new two-part health screening tool, the first part intended to gather information pertinent to the addressing of immediate health concerns, and the second part intended to act as a well woman/man consultation, analogous to that in use in primary care settings in the wider community.
	Prisoners who are identified as needing further help can be referred to a mental health in-reach team, who will arrange further assessment and follow up referral.

Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, column 295W, on reoffenders, how much was spent on approved premises in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The following data set out what has been spent in total on the approved premises estate in each of the last five years.
	
		
			
			 2002-03 52,219,391 
			 2003-04 61,998,242 
			 2004-05 63,567,929 
			 2005-06 73,358,001 
			 2006-07 84,599,882 
			 Total 335,743,445

Sick Leave: Dismissal

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff in his Department  (a) were disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is not held centrally for the former Department for Constitutional Affairs and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, this information is now being recorded centrally by the Ministry of Justice and figures will be available shortly.
	Sickness absence can become a disciplinary issue when someone is off sick without authority (either absent from work for more than seven days without providing a doctor's certificate or failing to ring their line manager on the day of their absence) and does not improve following a meeting and an agreed action plan.
	Appropriate warning levels can be issued at any stage. Warnings are not issued because someone is unwell; they are issued for non-attendance at work, and are part of the process for managing absence. If someone were found to have misled their employers about the absence they would be dealt with under the conduct policy.
	The health referral can be used at any stage, and is not a disciplinary sanction. For example, if someone had a pattern of frequent short-term absence, a referral could be done to see if there were any underlying medical problems. Similarly if someone disclosed diagnosis of a serious medical condition, a referral could be done immediately to identify any reasonable adjustments that could be made.
	Within Her Majesty's Prison Service, Prison Service Order 8403 Management of Attendance Procedures contains the policy on dealing with sickness absence. A total of 2,066 members of HM Prison Service staff have been dismissed for the reason of medical inefficiency or medically retired over the last five years.
	This breaks down as:
	
		
			   Number 
			  2002-03  
			 Dismissals 200 
			 Medical retirements 240 
			 Total 440 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 Dismissals 297 
			 Medical retirements 231 
			 Total 528 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Dismissals 212 
			 Medical retirements 172 
			 Total 384 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Dismissals 219 
			 Medical retirements 141 
			 Total 360 
			   
			  2006-07  
			 Dismissals 221 
			 Medical retirements 133 
			 Total 354 
		
	
	Within the Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR) and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), staff with a poor sickness absence record are managed under attendance management policies operated within Home Office headquarters.
	Information on the number of attendance management warnings and dismissals is only available from 2005, and breaks down as follows:
	
		
			   OCJR  NOMS 
			  2005   
			 Disciplined 0 3 
			 Dismissed 0 0 
			
			  2006   
			 Disciplined 1 7 
			 Dismissed 0 0 
			
			  2007   
			 Disciplined 0 1 
			 Dismissed 0 2 
		
	
	The figures are inclusive of staff disciplined and dismissed under both the long and short-term sick policies used within the Home Office.

Stafford Prison: Learning Disability

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to extend the programme of the Dore achievement centres and the Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Attention Deficit Disorder treatment programme within Stafford Prison to other prisons.

David Hanson: The Dore programme is no longer run at HMP Stafford and there are no plans to extend the programme to any other prison. The programme does however continue to be run independently within the community and prisoners are referred to it on release.

Television: Licensing

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) men and  (b) women are serving prison sentences for non-payment of the BBC licence fee.

Maria Eagle: Non-payment for a television licence is not an imprisonable offence. Offenders are dealt with by way of a fine. Non-payment of a fine may result in a short custodial sentence. At 31 October 2007 there were no fine defaulters in prison establishments in England and Wales whose main offence was non-payment for a TV licence.
	This information has been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Young Offender Institutions

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what costs were incurred due to vandalism in young offender institutions in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006.

David Hanson: The costs of vandalism in the 34 young offender institutions is held at each establishment and forms part of the overall maintenance costs. This information is not held centrally and could be gathered only at disproportionate cost within the given time scale.

Young Offender Institutions

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department takes to ensure the safety of staff within young offender institutions when dealing with disruptive behaviour by inmates.

David Hanson: Staff are trained in a number of techniques to effectively and safely manage violent or refractory young prisoners. These techniques include the use of de-escalation and interpersonal/communication skills, personal safety techniques and as a last resort control and restraint. The procedures for use of control and restraint are laid out in Prison Service Order 1600.

Young Offender Institutions

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether there is a uniform application of lights out policies across all young offender institutions.

David Hanson: There is no uniform lights out policy for young offender institutions. This is a local operational matter for the governor to decide.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to ensure that English wine is served exclusively or at the request of guests at meals, parties and receptions hosted by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: All public procurement procedures must comply with the EU directives. The key principles of the treaty, from a public procurement point of view, are the free movement of goods and services, and non-discrimination on the grounds of nationality. This legislation is designed to ensure that all public procurement across the European Union is fair, transparent and non-discriminatory.
	This means that the DWP cannot specify that it will only buy goods (e.g. wine) from a particular country or locality, as that would discriminate against producers from other EU member states.
	However, the Government are committed to increase opportunities for small and local suppliers to tender for contracts, thus increasing competition and securing better value for money.

Christmas

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what health and safety advice is issued to his Department's agencies on Christmas decorations.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions provides sensible and simple guidance for staff about the potential hazards associated with the use of Christmas decorations in buildings.
	This provides practical advice on how to reduce the risk of injury from slips, trips and falls by avoiding trailing wires and not standing on furniture when hanging decorations, and advice that all Christmas lights should be properly tested and checked before use.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to ensure that his Department provides references for the translators no longer being used by the Department.

Anne McGuire: Guidance to suppliers on the provision of references is given within the terms and conditions detailed on the Supplying DWP section of the Department's internet site. The link to this section is:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/supplyingdwp/doing_business with_dwp/ppn7-03.pdf

Departmental Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of  (a) beef,  (b) lamb,  (c) pork and  (d) dairy products used in his departmental headquarters were imported products in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: It is not possible to obtain figures solely for individual headquarter sites.
	The following table provides information on the percentage of each product imported for the period 1 July 2006-30 June 2007.
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Beef 30 
			 Lamb 48 
			 Pork 35 
			 Dairy products 20

Departmental Industrial Disputes

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contingency plans he has to help those who could be affected by the proposed strikes within his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Our contingency plans, which are flexible and proven, include prioritising our resources to ensure that our top priorityto make payments to our customersis maintained throughout any strike action by staff. We will also maintain access to our services by telephone and wherever possible face to face.

Departmental Manpower

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many civil servants in his Department  (a) transferred to other Government Departments and  (b) left the civil service in each of the last five years.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Angela Eagle) on 13 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 203-07W.

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what entertainment or hospitality members of his Department's management board have received in each of the last three financial years; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Paragraph 4.3.5 of the Civil Service Management Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality. The Government are committed to publishing an annual list of hospitality received by members of departmental boards. The first list for 2007 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end of the current calendar year.

Departmental Pay

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at his Department and its agencies in 2006-07; and what the total cost of those bonuses was.

Anne McGuire: There were 242 bonuses awarded to senior civil servants working at the Department for Work and Pensions and its agencies in 2006-07.
	The total cost of those bonuses was 1,787,847.
	
		
			  Bonus type  Number  Amount () 
			 2006-07 DWP senior civil service pay round bonuses 200 1,675,366 
			 Other bonus payments(1) 42 112,481 
			 Total 242 1,787,847 
			 (1) Includes bonuses paid outside the DWP senior civil service pay round to:  Permanent secretaries (performance bonuses); Staff transferring in from other Government Departments (performance bonuses awarded by the other Department); Newly promoted staff as part of their junior pay award, and Senior civil servants as special bonuses (through the DWP special bonus scheme for staff).

Departmental Pay

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in his Department and its predecessors were paid over 100,000 in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Employees with full-time equivalent gross salary (excluding bonuses) greater than 100,000 
			   Number 
			 September 2006 40 
			 April 2005 30 
			 April 2004 20 
			 April 2003 20 
			 April 2002 20 
			 April 2001  
			 April 2000  
			 April 1999  
			 April 1998  
			 April 1997  
			 Numbers less than five are represented by ''.  Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. DSS and Employment Service prior to 2002.  Source: Mandate provided by ONS.

Departmental Redundancies

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of redundancies in the Department in the 12 months preceding  (a) 30 June 2004,  (b) 30 June 2005 and  (c) 30 June 2006.

Anne McGuire: Over the three-year period only one member of staff was made compulsorily redundant in the Department. However, in addition, as part of its efficiency programme, the Department has run a number of staff early release schemes on a voluntary basis.
	The Department reports financial information based on financial years over the periods April to March. Information is therefore not available on the cost of early release in any of the 12-month periods ending 30 June. Information on the cost of on early release in the 12 months ending 31 March 2004, 31 March 2005 and 31 March 2006 is in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial Year  Total c ost ( million) 
			 2003-04 16.1 
			 2004-05 29.6 
			 2005-06 140.0

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

Anne McGuire: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation, are contained in the Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is made in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Employment

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to increase the involvement of private and voluntary sector organisations in the design and delivery stages of the city strategy.

Caroline Flint: We are currently in discussion with providers from the private and voluntary sectors and plan to hold an event in January at which we will update them on the city strategy and its progress to date.
	At this event, they will also have an opportunity to outline how they plan to work with the pathfinder consortia, influence policy decisions, and play a part in the commissioning strategy. This will enable all parties to work together to improve the way in which support for individual jobless people is co-ordinated and delivered on the ground.

Employment

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people seeking to  (a) return to work and  (b) obtain their first job his Department has assisted to compile a curriculum vitae in each of the last three years.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not available.
	Jobcentre Plus personal advisers provide information, advice and guidance to help people identify, apply for and secure employment. Tailoring this to individual need, advisers offer support on a range of jobsearch skills, including, where required, help to compile a curriculum vitae (CV). However, we do not maintain data about the number of people personal advisers help personally to compile a CV, or who they may direct to other sources of help, such as programme provision, self-help material such as the Jobcentre Plus Job Kit or local help organisations.

Employment: Marfan Syndrome

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department makes available to people with Marfan syndrome in job applications.

Anne McGuire: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 10 December 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the support made available to people with Marfan syndrome in job applications. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Customers with Marfan Syndrome can access the wide range of programmes provided by Jobcentre Plus. In particular, they may be interested in Pathways to Work or Disability Employment Adviser support.
	Pathways to Work currently operates in 18 Jobcentre Plus Districts and will be available everywhere by April 2008. This initiative encourages customers to consider starting or returning to work with the help of the Incapacity Benefit Personal Adviser. Support includes a series of work focused interviews and access to the Choices package. The package includes financial incentives, in work support and if appropriate, participation in a joint NHS / Jobcentre Plus Condition Management programme, so they can understand and manage their condition with a view to returning to work. The adviser identifies when, and if other specialist advice or provision is needed.
	Anyone who has been diagnosed with Marfan syndrome and who needs to look for specific types of work can seek additional specialist help from the Disability Employment Adviser.
	The Disability Employment Adviser can provide information about the range of mainstream and specialist programmes and services that can support disabled people into work. These include New Deal for Disabled People, Work Preparation, Access to Work, WORKSTEP and Residential Training Colleges. The Disability Employment Adviser and customer will draw up an action plan to help the customer move into employment.
	If a customer is concerned about losing their job or one they are about to start, because of a disability, the Disability Employment Adviser can provide advice about Access to Work. Access to Work can assist people with a disability or health condition who need support to overcome work-related obstacles resulting from disability, allowing them to stay in or start their job.
	I hope this is helpful.

Employment: New Deal Schemes

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out a timetable for the implementation of proposals made in In work, better off: next steps to full employment document published in July 2007.

Caroline Flint: The consultation period for the Green Paper 'In work, better off' closed at the end of October. We are currently studying the submissions we received and will respond shortly.

Incapacity Benefit: Inverness

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Highland ward of Merkinch received from the deprived areas fund in 2006-07; and how much it is estimated to receive in 2007-08.

Caroline Flint: In 2006-07, the Deprived Areas Fund allocated to the Jobcentre Plus Highlands, Islands and Clyde Coast, and Grampian district included 10,495 for the Merkinch ward. The amount for 2007-08 is 32,340.

Incapacity Benefits: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to revise his guidance to lay decision-makers assessing claims for disability living allowance from sufferers of myalgic encephalopathy, chronic fatigue syndrome; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Updated medical guidance on myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome for disability living allowance decision-makers was published in July 2007. The guidance is available on the Department's website. There are no current plans for further revision, but officials will continue to monitor new research and evidence in this area.

Incapacity Benefits: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received from  (a) myalgic encephalopathy, chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) charities,  (b) medical professionals and  (c) individuals with ME/CFS on his Department's advice on claimants suffering from this illness.

Anne McGuire: The guidance published in July 2007 was written in consultation with medical experts from relevant medical specialities, including an expert nominated by groups representing people with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Consultation with groups representing people with CFS included three face-to-face meetings. Their comments and views were taken into account.

Incapacity Benefits: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what scientific studies underlie his Department's guidance on benefit applicants with myalgic encephalopathy, chronic fatigue syndrome.

Anne McGuire: The Department did not use any specific scientific studies to inform the revision of its guidance to disability living allowance decision-makers, but used instead a range of recognised experts in the field to help with drawing up the guidance. This process included engagement with bodies representing people with myalgic encephalopathy and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Job Creation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of new jobs for  (a) British citizens and  (b) non-British citizens that the British jobs for British workers policy will produce;
	(2)  what steps the Government have taken to promote British jobs for British workers; and what estimate he has made of the number of such jobs that will be created over the next  (a) year,  (b) three years and  (c) decade.

Caroline Flint: British jobs for British workers' refers to the Government's commitment to help disadvantaged people in this country who have been on benefits, often for prolonged periods of time, to move into work.
	Our Welfare Reform Green Paper In work, better off: next steps to full employment sets out our proposals for moving further towards our aspiration of 80 per cent. employment. We will concentrate on helping the most disadvantaged individuals and families. Tackling inactivity, particularly among those on benefits, remains our top priority.
	We have joined major employers to create Local Employment Partnerships (LEPs), which will help over 250,000 disadvantaged people into work over the next three years.
	These measures are designed to build on the record of success since 1997 which has seen an increase in employment of 2.8 million and a reduction of over 1 million people on key out-of-work benefits.

Jobcentre Plus: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department has provided to Jobcentre Plus employees on working with local authorities to meet the needs of adults with an autism spectrum disorder.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 30 November 2007
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 10 December 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what guidance has been provided to Jobcentre Plus employees on working with local authorities to meet the needs of adults with autism spectrum disorder. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	There is no specific guidance provided to Jobcentre Plus employees on working with local authorities to meet the needs of those with autism spectrum disorder.
	However, Jobcentre Plus has a Service Level Agreement with local authorities setting out the joint activities Jobcentre Plus and local authorities undertake for their shared customers. This ensures both organisations continue to work together effectively and deliver a quality service to customers.
	Furthermore, any customers who need extra support because of their disability, including those with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, can get help from a Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment Adviser. The Disability Employment Adviser will tell them about specialised programmes available for disabled people and any suitable job vacancies. There are no Jobcentre Plus programmes specifically targeted at people with autism spectrum. All of these programmes work with customers across the full range of disabilities and health conditions, including those with autism spectrum disorder.
	Disability Employment Adviser training includes periods of consolidation after training where they research into local organisations and provision for the benefit of customers. This develops effective working relationships with partners and would include local employers, the local authority, voluntary organisations and social services.
	I hope this is helpful.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of jobseeker's allowance claimants who are contacted  (a) more frequently than every two weeks,  (b) every two weeks and  (c) less than every two weeks about their claim.

James Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 10 December 2007:
	The Secretary of State for Employment and Welfare Reform has asked me to reply to your question about the estimated number of Jobseeker's Allowance claimants who are contacted about their claim more frequently than every two weeks; every two weeks; and less than every two weeks. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The vast majority of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance are required to attend the Jobcentre at least every two weeks to show they are actively seeking and available for work, and therefore remain entitled to payment. During certain key stages of the claim people are required to attend more frequently for short periods.
	In 2006/07 there were 2.3 million claims for Jobseekers Allowance. Of these, about 60% (1.3 million) left before 13 weeks, and will have attended a Jobcentre Plus office on a fortnightly basis during that time. Those claiming beyond 13 weeks (about 965,000) will have had a combination of weekly/fortnightly contacts, depending upon the duration of their claim.
	Additionally, in 2006/07 there was a total of 29,350 interviews with 7,337 customers suspected of working while claiming benefit, but where there was not enough evidence to warrant a full fraud investigation. These customers were required to attend the Jobcentre Plus office for a series of interviews arranged to take place on days other than their normal day of attendance in order to disrupt any potential work pattern.
	The only exception to the requirement to attend the Jobcentre fortnightly or weekly is people who are able to maintain their claim by post, for example because of the distance they live from their nearest Jobcentre Plus office. While these people are not required to actually attend the Jobcentre as frequently as other customers, they are required, by post, to show they are actively seeking and available for work on a similar fortnightly or weekly basis, depending upon the length of their claim. We do not have information on the number of postal claimants, but the (postal) eligibility rules mean they only ever represent a small percentage of the overall number claiming Jobseekers Allowance.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether jobseeker's allowance claimants are permitted to refuse an offer of employment if they would not be made financially better off by accepting the offer;
	(2)  what factors are included in determinations of lone parent claimants being better off by Jobcentre Plus.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 3 December 2007
	Jobseeker's allowance regulations do not normally allow claimants to refuse an offer of employment if they would not be made financially better off by accepting the offer. However, there are easements which allow good cause for refusing a job which are considered by an independent decision maker. They will look at all the available evidence, and it is possible that they will consider the claimant has good cause for refusing an offer of employment, if they would not be made financially better off by accepting the offer.
	The impact of these measures was considered in our Green Paper, In Work, Better Off: Next Steps to Full Employment, and in the subsequent consultation on its proposals. We will be responding to these in our White Paper Response.

Lone Parents: Work-Focused Interviews

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) first,  (b) second and  (c) subsequent work-focused interviews for lone parents were booked between March 2006 and September 2007; and how many claimants were sanctioned for non-attendance in each category.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 3 December 2007
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Work focused interviews for lone parents for the period March 2006 to August 2007 
			  Work Focused Interviews (WFI)  Number of WFIs booked  Number of lone parents sanctioned for failing to attend WFI 
			 First 343,900 4,840 
			 Second 335,900 23,640 
			 Subsequent 566,400 29,640 
			  Sources:  1. National Benefits Database.  2. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Minimum Wage

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether consideration has been given to ending the age-related graduated structure of minimum wage rates.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government's regulations implementing the European Employment Directive (Council Directive 2007/78/EC) came into force on 1 October 2006 (Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006) and provided an exemption from age discrimination for employers using the youth (16-17 year-old) or development rates (18-21 year-old) of the minimum wage. The Government keep the position under review.

New Deal Schemes

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has any plans to exempt certain groups of lone parents from new requirements of conditionality outlined in In work, better off: next steps to full employment.

Caroline Flint: The proposed changes from October 2008 would only affect those lone parents who are in receipt of income support solely on the basis that they are the parent of a child aged 12 or over. Further proposals are that this age may be brought down to a youngest child who will be seven years old by October 2010.
	The Green Paper proposed that
	Other lone parents would be able to claim the appropriate benefit for their circumstances. For example, lone parents receiving carer's allowance for disabled children (or for caring for others) will be able to continue to claim income support should they wish.

Pensions: Finance

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the net annual cost for each year from 2008 to 2025 of  (a) paying the basic state pension at its current level, increased annually in line with average earnings to all pensioners,  (b) raising the basic state pension to the current level of the Pensions Credit Guarantee, increased annually in line with average earnings and paying it to all pensioners and  (c) raising the basic state pension to 60 per cent. of median population income, increased annually in line with average earnings and paying it to all pensioners.

Mike O'Brien: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Estimated net additional costs for all UK pensioners 
			   billion (2007-08 prices) 
			  Financial year  (a) Basic state pension increased annually in line  with average earnings  (b) Basic state pension increased to pension credit standard minimum guarantee increased annually in line  with average earnings  (c) Basic state pension increased to 60 per cent. of median population income increased annually in line  with average earnings 
			 2008 6 23 22 
			 2009 7 24 23 
			 2010 8 25 24 
			 2011 8 26 25 
			 2012 8 26 25 
			 2013 8 26 26 
			 2014 8 27 26 
			 2015 8 27 26 
			 2016 7 27 26 
			 2017 7 28 27 
			 2018 7 28 27 
			 2019 7 28 27 
			 2020 7 29 28 
			 2021 7 29 28 
			 2022 7 30 29 
			 2023 7 31 30 
			 2024 7 32 30 
			 2025 7 32 30 
			  Notes: 1. Estimates are presented in net terms meaning that estimated savings from reduced income related benefit payments (pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit) have been deducted. The proportions of additional expenditure saved through reduced income related benefit payments in 2008-09 have been estimated using the Department's Policy Simulation Model. This proportion is assumed to remain constant in future years. 2. Column 2 is based on paying UK pensioners the current full value of the basic state pension of 87.30 per week uprated by the relevant Average Earnings Index of 3.5 per cent. and rounded to the nearest five pence, which gives a figure of 90.35 in 2008-09. 3. Column 3 is based on the value of the current level of the pension credit standard minimum guarantee of 119.05 per week for a single person, uprated by the relevant Average Earnings Index of 3.5 per cent. and rounded to the nearest five pence, which gives a figure of 123.20 in 2008-09. 4. Column 4: Sixty per cent. of median population income for a single person with no children after deducting housing costs was 108 per week in 2005-06 (Households Below Average Income: An analysis of the income distribution 1994/952005/06 (Revised), DWP). This figure has been uprated by average earnings to 121.60 per week in 2008-09. 5. In the financial years up to and including 2013-14 Treasury economic assumptions have been used to model earnings uprating. After this point a long term earnings growth assumption of 4.93 per cent. has been applied. 6. No changes have been made to the current or projected level of the savings credit threshold. 7. 'All pensioners' is defined as all individuals over state pension age living in the United Kingdom. The estimates do not include pensioners claiming a UK pension, but living overseas. Including this group would increase the estimated costs. 8. The estimates are consistent with mid-2004 GAD population projections. We are currently in the process of revising our expenditure projections in line with the mid-2006 ONS population projections. 9. Estimates are in 2007-08 prices and have been rounded to the nearest  billion.  Source: DWP modelling

Performance Appraisal

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department's year ends for the purpose of assessing staff performance; and when staff receive performance bonuses.

Anne McGuire: The performance year for the Department for Work and Pensions runs from 1 April to 31 March for all grades including the senior civil service.
	Performance bonuses are one element of the annual pay award, which is effective from 1 July. This year, owing to protracted pay negotiations with trade unions, performance bonuses were paid with the pay award in November.
	Senior civil service bonuses are usually paid in July in DWP, but this year they were paid in November in line with Cabinet Office instruction.

Remploy

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the future of the  (a) Trefforest,  (b) Brynaman and  (c) Ystradgynlais Remploy factories.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 4 December 2007
	 The Secretary of State discussed those Remploy factories with a number of Welsh Assembly Government Ministers, including the First Minister, the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing and the Deputy Minister for Regeneration.

Social Fund

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will list the organisations which provide advice on the making of decisions on applications to the social fund;
	(2)  what information his Department records on the decisions of the social fund;
	(3)  what assessment his Department has made of the  (a) quality and  (b) appropriateness of advice offered by staff to social fund applicants;
	(4)  if he will take steps to ensure that applicants requiring assistance who have had a social fund application rejected are directed to more appropriate sources of funding;
	(5)  what criteria his Department uses to ensure that community care grants are awarded to the applicants who are most in need of them.

James Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 10  D ecember 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions relating to the operation of the discretionary Social Fund scheme. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus is solely responsible for administering the Social Fund, including making initial decisions on applications for loans and Community Care Grants and providing the first tier of review for applicants dissatisfied with their original decision. Decision makers must adhere to the Directions issued by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and take account of guidance he has given. They should also have regard to the state of the budget in the Social Fund unit they are attached to. Decision makers are fully trained in the principles of decision making and the rules relating to the Social Fund.
	Social Fund Inspectors working at the Independent Review Service for the Social Fund (an independent statutory body) provide the second tier of the review for customers dissatisfied with the review decision made by the decision maker in Jobcentre Plus. Customers who are still dissatisfied may apply for Judicial Review.
	Inspector's decisions are returned to Jobcentre Plus and are used as a learning resource for decision makers. The Social Fund Commissioner, the head of the Independent Review Service, has provided assistance to Jobcentre Plus by making his staff available to assist us in training our decision makers. Inspector's decisions have always been a useful resource for Jobcentre Plus decision makers. We are now formalising that as part of an enhanced checking regime designed to improve the standard of decision making.
	The particulars of each application are recorded on the national Social Fund Computer System. For Budgeting Loans this includes the reasons for the decision and repayment terms. For Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans, in addition to recording the details on the computer system, decision makers are required to complete a written decision which explains in details the reasons why an award has been made or refused.
	Jobcentre Plus monitors customer service through the Mystery Shopper Programme, which is an independent measure of the accuracy and comprehensiveness of information given to customers. The scenarios used by the Mystery Shopper include some questions about elements of the Social Fund. Performance against these questions contributes to the wider Customer Service Target.
	Social Fund decision makers are advised to alert customers, where appropriate, to charitable sources of funding such as the Family Fund. Decision makers refusing an award from one part of Social Fund will as a matter of routine consider whether an application to another part of the fund might be successful. When a decision is made to refuse a Community Care Grant the decision maker will automatically consider whether a crisis loan can be awarded. Similarly, if a Crisis Loan is refused the decision maker should consider whether the award of a Community Care Grant is appropriate. Where neither is appropriate consideration should be given to issuing a Budgeting Loan application form to the customer as legislation does not permit us to treat an application for a Community Care Grant or Crisis Loan as a Budgeting Loan.
	The Community Care Grant scheme operates within the constraints of a cash limited budget and awards are made based on prioritisation of customer need which ensures that available funding goes to those with the highest priority needs. In each case the decision maker considers the nature, extent and urgency of need and whether the priority of the need can be met from the relevant budget allocation.
	I hope that this is helpful.

Social Security Benefits: Eastbourne

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the value of  (a) attendance allowance and  (b) disability living allowance payments for people over the retirement age living in Eastbourne was in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 2006-07.

Anne McGuire: The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Attendance allowance and disability living allowance expenditure for people over retirement age in the Eastbourne parliamentary constituencycash terms 
			   Status  Annual expenditure ( million) 
			  Attendance  a llowance 
			 1997-98 Outturn 5.4 
			 2006-07 Provisional Outturn 9.7 
			
			  Disability living allowance 
			 1997-98 Outturn 2.0 
			 2006-07 Provisional Outturn 3.9 
		
	
	
		
			  Attendance allowance and disability living allowance expenditure for people over retirement age in the Eastbourne parliamentary constituency2007-08 prices 
			   Status  Annual expenditure ( million) 
			  Attendance  a llowance 
			 1997-98 Outturn 7.0 
			 2006-07 Provisional Outturn 10.0 
			
			  Disability  living allowance 
			 1997-98 Outturn 2.6 
			 2006-07 Provisional Outturn 4.0 
			  Notes: 1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand pounds. 2. All figures are consistent with the 2007 pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review, as well as expenditure information published on the internet at www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp 3. The 1997-98 caseloads used in the apportionment of expenditure are based on 5 per cent. samples, which have been calibrated to 100 per cent. data. 100 per cent. data have been used to apportion expenditure for 2006-07. 4. Parliamentary constituency data are not available prior to February 1997.  Source: Expenditure has been taken from departmental accounting systems and combined with 100 per cent. statistical data to identify the proportion of expenditure paid to people over retirement age living in Eastbourne parliamentary constituency.

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many A8 nationals claimed  (a) income support,  (b) jobseeker's allowance,  (c) housing benefit,  (d) council tax benefit and  (e) pension credit in each quarter since 1 May 2004, broken down by nationality.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Some information is available in the Accession Monitoring Report; May 2004-September 2007, a joint report by the Border and Immigration Agency, Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs and Department for Communities and Local Government, copies of which have been placed in the Library.
	The Accession Monitoring Report only gives the total of applicants for tax funded income related benefits (income based jobseeker's allowance , income support and state pension credit) broken down by A8 nation.

Staff Survey

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions why his Department cancelled its autumn staff survey; what consultations his Department had with the trade union side before deciding to cancel; what costs were incurred in drafting the survey before it was cancelled; and when his Department next plans to survey its staff.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 6 December 2007
	 The Department for Work and Pensions postponed its November 2007 staff survey until January 2008. The decision to defer was made following a range of feedback suggesting that a review of the questionnaire content and overarching strategy was needed. A letter to the DTUS secretary, on 24 October 2007, outlined the rationale and gave advance viewing of a Department-wide announcement on 25 October 2007. The DWP will share the revised content of the survey questionnaire with the DTUS (which it does routinely each year). A total of 14,535 was incurred in external supplier costs in preparation for the postponed survey.

Stevenage

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department is responsible for  (a) the ministerial salary and  (b) the provision of support to the ministerial office of the hon. Member for Stevenage.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 3 December 2007
	 The Government Equalities Office will meet the ministerial salary of my hon. Friend the Member for Stevenage (Barbara Follett) and will meet most of the costs of her Private Office. The Department for Work and Pensions, the Cabinet Office and the Government Offices for the Regions also provide some support services for the Private Office.

Unemployment: Prisoners

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many ex-prisoners have entered Progress 2 work/link up in each year since its inception; and how many of these have found sustained employment.

Caroline Flint: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Ex-prisoner( 2)  starters on the Progress2work and Progress2work-linkUP programmes in Great Britain 
			   Starters  Jobs  Sustained jobs 
			 2002 210 30 10 
			 2003 2,840 520 120 
			 2004 5,330 1,350 300 
			 2005 5,580 1,360 350 
			 2006 5,560 1,080 400 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded up to the nearest 10 for data protection reasons; totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. The figures relate to customers who volunteered the information that they had served a custodial sentence; it will necessarily be an under-count as some customers will not wish to disclose this type of information. 3. In the case of earlier years the 'sustained jobs' figure is the number of customers who did not claim benefit again within 13 weeks of their job start. Later information, since September 2006, comes from information provided by contractors in the management information they give to the DWP. 4. Progress2work was rolled out early in 2002, initially in 27 pathfinders. Progress2work provision was available in around 60 Jobcentre Plus districts by June 2003 and was rolled out to the remaining districts by April 2004.

Westmorland

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department plans to move any of its offices to Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.

Anne McGuire: The only building that the DWP occupies in this constituency is Kentmere house, Kendal. DWP service delivery plans are regularly reviewed and there are currently no plans to move any further offices to the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department and its predecessor spent on  (a) business and  (b) first class air travel in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: The amount spent on first class and business flights for the period November 2006 to October 2007 was as follows:
	
		
			
			  (a) Business Class Flights 2,307,278 
			  (b) First Class Flights 98,506 
		
	
	The figures include both UK and overseas flights.

Climate Change

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department  (a) has taken and  (b) intends to take by (i) 2012 and (ii) 2020 in relation to adaptation to the effects of climate change as they affect his departmental responsibilities; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 6 December 2007
	The Climate Change Bill, which was introduced to Parliament on 14 November, will require Government to assess the risks that climate change poses to the UK, and to report to Parliament. The first national risk assessment, which includes energy issues, will be carried out within three years of enactment of the Bill, with subsequent assessments being published at least every five years. In addition, the Bill will also require the Government to publish and regularly update an adaptation programme. This will set out the Government's objectives in relation to adaptation to climate change and their proposals and policies for meeting those objectives. As part of preparations for developing this programme, the Government will be publishing an adaptation policy framework in spring 2008 .
	BERR has been actively engaged in those adaptation responsibilities included in its remit. The Department's responsibilities primarily affected by the impacts of climate change include those relating to energy, telecoms and regional economic performance. In relation to the energy sector, there are already a number of existing obligations relating to security of supply which help to ensure that adaptation to climate change occurs. The electricity companies have general obligations in relation to continuity of supply via the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations, which are enforced by BERR. Electricity and gas utilities also have a general legal duty under the terms of their licence to ensure adequate levels of security of supply. These are enforced by Ofgem, which has powers to require electricity and gas utilities to provide it with the information necessary for Ofgem to assess compliance with the duty.
	As evidenced by the response during the flooding in the summer, Government are working and will continue to work closely with industryincluding telecomsto ensure that services are restored to customers as soon as possible following any weather-related or other events which may cause disruption to service.
	In relation to the Department's regional responsibilities, the Review of sub-national economic development and regeneration published in July indicated that it was essential for every region to plan to ensure that it is resilient to a changing climate. The review confirmed that the Government propose to give the regional development agencies executive responsibility for developing single integrated regional strategies which set out the economic, social and environmental objectives for each region.

Companies House: Disclosure of Information

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform for what reasons Companies House returned to Book Keeping Services Devon Ltd of Kingsbridge confidential information about a company in Falmouth following its request for an increase in ordinary share capital of a different company based in South Devon; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 6 December 2007
	This was the result of an administrative error. The information relating to the company in Falmouth was not confidential, but was intended for the public record.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced by his Department and its predecessor in each year since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: BERR is, as was the DTI, committed to the targets for energy efficiency and reduction in carbon emissions set out in the Framework for Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate.
	 Building carbon emissions:
	During the period 1990-2000 (Baseline year) to 2006-07, BERR and the former DTI HQ and its agencies have achieved a 14 per cent. reduction in carbon emissions from their buildings, as has been reported annually in the annual Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) reports published through the SDC and is shown in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Total emissions from buildings 
			   Percentage change since 1999-2000 base year 
			 Carbon emissions 1990-2000 Kgc 5,152,249 
			   
			 2000-01 2 
			 2001-02 -6 
			 2002-03 5 
			 2003-04 -14 
			 2004-05 -15 
			 2005-06 -17 
			 2006-07 -14 
		
	
	 Travel carbon emissions:
	There has been an increase of 3.8 per cent. in carbon emissions from administrative road-based travel since baseline levels relative to 2005-06 levels, although the Department remains confident it will hit the 2010 target.

Departmental Computers

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many attempted hackings or suspected cyber attacks or other malicious computer security breaches were committed against the computer systems of  (a) his Department and  (b) the Registrar of Companies in each of the last three years for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Consultants

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which private consultancy firms  (a) his Department and  (b) agencies which report to his Department engaged in each of the last three years; which programmes or projects each firm worked on; and what the approximate cost to the Department or agency of each engagement was.

Gareth Thomas: Central records indicate that the Department has spent the following on consultancy services:
	
		
			  Financial year   million 
			 2005-06 53.6 
			 2006-07 40.2 
			 2007-08 (1 )16.3 
			 (1 )to date 
		
	
	I have placed in the Library of the House a list of companies that received payments for consultancy services in each of the last three financial years, together with details of the total amount paid to each.

Departmental Data Protection

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's rules and procedures on the protection of confidential data kept by his Department on individuals, businesses and other organisations.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many confirmed data security breaches there have been from his Department in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence.

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on how many occasions in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies confidential data have been downloaded on to compact discs (i) without and (ii) with encryption in the last 12-month period for which figures are available; how many of those discs have been posted without using recorded or registered delivery; what procedures his Department has in place for the (A) transport, (B) exchange and (C) delivery of confidential or sensitive data; what records are kept of information held by his Department being sent outside the Department; what changes have been made to his Department's rules and procedures on data protection in the last two years; on how many occasions his Department's procedures and rules on data protection have been breached in the last five years; what those breaches were; what procedures his Department has in place on downloading confidential data on to computer discs before its transfer; and what technical protections there are in his Department's computer systems to prevent access to information held on those systems which is not in accordance with departmental procedures.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what procedures are in place in his Department to ensure that personal information relating to members of the public is  (a) stored and  (b) transported securely.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he proposes to review how his Department transports data; and whether his Department uses TNT to transport data.

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department has taken to protect the personal data on members of the public which it holds.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Members to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental ICT

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which manufacturers' software is used in his Department.

Gareth Thomas: The following table provides the list of manufacturers supplying software applications to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	
		
			  Application  Version  Developer/Supplier 
			 Access 2003 Microsoft 
			 Acrobat Reader 7.0.7 Adobe 
			 AMO Client  CA 
			 Arcview  ESRI 
			 Business Objects 5.1.6 Oracle 
			 Calipsoe Admin  Oracle 
			 Calipsoe Self Service  Oracle 
			 Citrix Client ICA 8.100.29670 Citrix 
			 Cortona VRML 4.0 Parallel Graphics 
			 Crystal Reports 8.0 Seagate 
			 DirX Discover 6.0 Fujitsu/Siemens 
			 Discoverer 4.1.37.00.0 Oracle 
			 Documents To Go 2.0 Dataviz 
			 DPS Business Objects 5.1.6 AMS/Business Objects 
			 DPS Client  AMS/Oracle Forms 
			 Dragon Naturally Speaking 7.0 Scansoft 
			 Druid 1.8.1 PRO 
			 BERRnet  Fujitsu 
			 Egg Timer 2.11 BTT 
			 E-Trust (Client) 7.1.501 Computer Associates 
			 eWebEditPro 3.0 Ektron 
			 Exceed 6.2 HummingBird 
			 Excel 2003 Microsoft 
			 Faxination  Fenestrae 
			 Flashplayer 8.0 Macromedia 
			 Flowcharter 2003 iGrafx 
			 FrontPage 2003 Microsoft 
			 F-Secure SSH 5.2 F- Secure 
			 Harvard Graphics 6.0 Harvard Graphics 
			 HELD  XNP/Oracle Forms 
			 HERMES  LCMG 
			 HERMES Business Onjects 5.1.6 LCMG 
			 IBIS  LCMG 
			 Internet Explorer 6.0 SP2 Microsoft 
			 Java JVM J2SE 1 .4.2 SUN 
			 JAWS V7.0 Freedom Scientific 
			 JetForms Filler Pro 5.2 Adobe (ex-Accelio) 
			 Joint Infrastructure  Fujitsu 
			 Knowledge Network 5.012 Lotus Notes 
			 Lightspeed NVS 2.4.0 Light Speed Systems 
			 MATRIX 1.1 Fujitsu 
			 MATRIX Business Objects  Fujitsu 
			 Media Player 10.0 Microsoft 
			 MENTOR  Cap Gemini 
			 MPST-POEMS  Fujitsu 
			 MS Oriental Language Support 2003 Microsoft 
			 NETg  NETg 
			 Nfuse 6.3 Citrix 
			 Notes Client 7.0.1 Lotus 
			 OG Business Objects 5.1.6 Business Objects 
			 OG Xwindows applications Client  Humming-bird 
			 OLLIE - XNP ATOS 
			 OmniForm 4.0 Scansoft 
			 OmniPage 14.0 ScanSoft 
			 Oracle Reports 6.0.8.24.0 Oracle 
			 Outlook 2003 Microsoft 
			 PaintShop Pro 7.0 Corel (was JASC) 
			 Palm Vx support  Palm 
			 Penserver Client  Claybrook 
			 People@berr  Fujitsu 
			 Point 'n Click 2.1.0.13 Polital Enterprises 
			 PowerPoint 2003 Microsoft 
			 Project 2003 Microsoft 
			 Publisher 2003 Microsoft 
			 RCO Client  CA 
			 Sanctuary 3.0.252 SecureWave 
			 SDO Client  CA 
			 Shockwave 8.5.1 Macromedia 
			 SQL *Plus 9.2.0.1.0 Microsoft 
			 SSM Business Objects  Fujitsu 
			 SSM R109 Fujitsu 
			 Supernova 6.51 Dolphin 
			 Text Help Read and Write 7 TextHelp! 
			 Trapeze 1 TrapezeOnstream 
			 Trim Captura 4.3 Tower 
			 Trim TopDrawer 4.3 Tower 
			 UtilEyes  Siemens 
			 Visio 2003 Microsoft 
			 Visio Viewer 2003 Microsoft 
			 WARP  XNP 
			 WinZip 9 WinZip 
			 Word 2003 Microsoft 
			 XML Spy 2007 Altova 
			 XNP Business Objects  Business Objects

Departmental Labour Turnover

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the percentage turnover of staff was in  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies in (i) the last 12-month period and (ii) the last 24-month period for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 27 November 2007
	 The annual turnover rate for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory (BERR) from August 2007 to September 2007 was 18 per cent. The annual turnover rate for the same period for BERR plus UK Trade and Investment and the Office of Manpower Economics was 19 per cent.
	The annual turnover rate for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) from August 2005 to September 2006 was 19 per cent. The annual turnover rate for the same period for the DTI plus UKTI and The Office of Manpower Economics was 18 per cent.
	The turnover rate for the Department's agencies is not held centrally. Therefore the cost of preparing an answer for the agencies would be disproportionate to the benefit to be derived.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department, its predecessors and its agencies spent on managing their corporate identities in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: In the last full financial year (2006 to 2007), the former Department of Trade and Industry spent 7,910 on a revision of its brand guidelines through its central marketing team.
	Identification of other spending on the management of its identity (i.e. through staff time) could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Costs for the former DTI's agencies for this period are not held centrally.

Departmental Publicity

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much has been spent by his Department and its predecessor on advertising in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: In the last full financial year (2006-07) the then DTI and its agencies spent 821,830 on advertising via the Central Office of Information.
	
		
			  Activity in 2006-07  Amount () 
			 Consumer DirectThomson Directories 2006-07 581,424 
			 DTI classified recruitment 2006-07 11,457 
			 ACAS miscellaneous advertising activity 2006-07 228,949 
			 Total 821,830

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff in his Department have  (a) been disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: The Department's Human Resources Directorate holds central data for only 2006 and 2007 on staff who were formally warned (disciplined) as a result of a poor sick record:
	2007: Eight (includes six who returned to effective working; two who were dismissed)
	2006: 19 (includes 13 who returned to effective working; two who were successful in their applications for medical retirement; and four who were dismissed).

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

Gareth Thomas: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation, are contained in the Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is made in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Energy: EU Action

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect on UK energy policy of the European Commission Communication on a European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), COM (2007) 723, of 22 November.

Malcolm Wicks: The European Strategic Energy Technology Plan discusses the technology development needed to meet the EU's 2020 targets and 2050 vision, and proposes a number of actions to increase international collaboration and guide the EU's energy technology work going forward. These include:
	The establishment of a Steering Group for Energy Research and Innovation, composed of representatives of member states, and designed to foster increased coordination of technology policies and programmes in member states.
	A European energy technology summit, to bring together stakeholders in the entire innovation system, from industry to customers, as well as representatives of European institutions, the financial community and international partners.
	The launching of European Industrial Initiatives in several energy technology areas. The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative is an example of a new form of collaboration, with Community Research Framework Programme funding being used to co-finance a programme of research and demonstration with industry in a European public-private partnership.
	Creating a virtual European Energy Research Alliance, whereby the European Commission intends to begin dialogue with heads of research institutes and higher education establishments with significant programmes, aiming to encourage enhanced collaboration in delivering coordinated research programmes.
	The UK believes that collaboration in developing energy technology is an important part of the development of new energy technologies, and UK Government and industry currently engage with a wide range of EU programmes, including the Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, which provides funding for collaborative research. We are also closely involved in developing the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative.
	A number of new initiatives may emerge from the ongoing development of the SET-plan, in particular with regard to the proposed European industrial Initiatives, and we intend to engage closely with the EU in developing these initiatives.

Energy: Meters

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer of 17 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1150W, on energy: meters, when he intends to bring forward the necessary statutory instrument to enable consumers of energy to request real-time consumption display devices from their suppliers.

Malcolm Wicks: In August 2007, the Government consulted on a range of matters in respect of gas and electricity metering and billing. That consultation ended on 31 October, and the Government are considering responses, including those on the provision of display devices by electricity suppliers. The Government expect to respond to the consultation early in 2008.

Engineering: Manpower

Bill Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the age profile of the UK engineering work force.

Stephen Timms: My Department has made no such assessment. Official statistics for the age profile of the manufacturing work force are as follows:
	
		
			  Age  Percentage 
			 16 to 19 2 
			 20 to 24 7.2 
			 25 to 49 62.2 
			 50+ 28.6 
			  Source: ONS Annual Population Survey workplace analysis (Nomis 2007)

Engineering: Young People

Bill Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to encourage young people to undertake engineering courses.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are committed to increasing the number of young people studying science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) as set out in the Science and Innovation Investment Framework and 2006 Next Steps. These commitments are focused on encouraging young people to study STEM subjects throughout the education system from the early stages and beyond. The Government are providing support for activities that help enthuse young people about engineering and science. For example, the Department for Children, Schools and Families sponsors the science and engineering after- school clubs run by STEMNET and the engineering education scheme which engages engineering companies with schools.
	The DCSF is also in the process of commissioning a programme of careers support and guidance and a communications campaign, both with the aim of informing young people more about the varied and exciting opportunities that exist in STEM in pre and post-16 education and beyond.
	From September 2008 young people will have the option of taking the Diploma in Engineering which will be available at all three levels 1, 2 and 3. The nature of the 14-19 Diploma programme means that young people acquire the education they need to progress to further learning and employment within the sectors that relate to their diploma of choice, and outside too.
	The Department for Innovation, Universites and Skills funds the Science and Engineering Ambassadors scheme, run by STEMNET, for scientists and engineers to act as role models for schoolchildren. The DIUS also sponsors the Royal Academy of Engineering. One element of their work includes developing programmes to enthuse and engage young people in engineering subjects, for example, the Technology and Engineering in Schools Strategy (TESS), through which the professional community of engineering institutions and other stakeholders are taking a co-ordinated approach to work within schools to promote engineering and technology.
	At HE level the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is funding the National Engineering Programme (NEP), of which the London Engineering project is the first part to get off the ground. After creating a successful working model with the London pilot project, the programme will extend to six other cities in England. Managed by the Royal Academy of Engineering, aims the programme to change the face of UK higher education in engineering, widening participation and strengthening engineering as a strategic subject.

Fuel Poverty

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many households in  (a) the Uxbridge constituency,  (b) each London borough and  (c) England (i) are classified as living in fuel poverty and (ii) were classified as living in fuel poverty in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Regional estimates of fuel poverty are available only for 2003 and are taken from the Fuel Poverty Indicator datasetavailable online at
	http://www.fuelpovertyindicator.org.uk/
	For Uxbridge constituency the dataset shows that there were an estimated 2,300 fuel poor households.
	The following table shows fuel poverty levels for all the London boroughs.
	
		
			  London borough  Estimate of number of fuel poor households 
			 Barking and Dagenham 3,900 
			 Barnet 6,700 
			 Bexley 5,000 
			 Brent 5,300 
			 Bromley 6,700 
			 Camden 4,800 
			 City of London 200 
			 Croydon 7,700 
			 Ealing 6,100 
			 Enfield 6,000 
			 Greenwich 5,300 
			 Hackney 4,600 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,800 
			 Haringey 5,200 
			 Harrow 4,000 
			 Havering 5,000 
			 Hillingdon 4,800 
			 Hounslow 4,300 
			 Islington 4,200 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4,100 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3,200 
			 Lambeth 6,100 
			 Lewisham 5,900 
			 Merton 4,200 
			 Newham 5,800 
			 Redbridge 5,200 
			 Richmond upon Thames 4,100 
			 Southwark 5,400 
			 Sutton 3,900 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,800 
			 Waltham Forest 5,300 
			 Wandsworth 5,900 
			 Westminster 5,600 
			 Grand Total 162,200 
		
	
	An estimate of the number of households in fuel poverty in England can be found in Chapter 2 of the The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy; Fourth Annual Progress Report 2006, available online at
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file29688.pdf
	
		
			  Number of households in fuel poverty in England, 1996 to 2004 (Bracketed figures in millions are based on levels using the basic income definition) 
			   1996  1998  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 Total fuel poor 5.1 (5.5) 3.4 (4.0) 1.7 (2.3) 1.4 (2.0) 1.2 (1.5) 1.2 (1.4) 
			 Vulnerable 4.0 (4.3) 2.8 (3.2) 1.4 (1.9) 1.2 (1.6) 1.0 (1.2) 1.0 (1.1) 
			 Non-vulnerable 1.1 (1.2) 0.6 (0.8) 0.2 (0.4) 0.2 (0.4) 0.2 (0.3) 0.3 (0.3)

Fuel Poverty: North West Region

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of households in the north-west were classified as living in fuel poverty in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Regional estimates of fuel poverty are available only for 2003 and are taken from the Fuel Poverty Indicator datasetavailable online at
	http://www.fuelpovertyindicator.org.uk/
	In the north-west of England, there were approximately 2.8 million homes, of which an estimated 190,000 were fuel poor, giving a percentage of 6.7 per cent.

Fuel Poverty: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) households and  (b) vulnerable households in fuel poverty in Tamworth constituency in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: Constituency level estimates of fuel poverty are available only for 2003 from the fuel poverty indicator dataset, available online at
	http://www.fuelpovertyindicator.org.uk/
	This estimates that there were approximately 1,800 households in fuel poverty in Tamworth. The dataset does not hold breakdowns between vulnerable and non-vulnerable households.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which external solicitors representatives of his Department have met to discuss miners' compensation; and on how many occasions this has happened in the last three years.

Malcolm Wicks: From the Department's records we identified meetings with the co-ordinating group representing claimants' solicitors which includes representatives of Thompsons, Irwin Mitchell and Hugh James, with whom regular meetings are held to progress issues arising.
	Officials have also met Beresfords to recover overpayment of Optional Risk Offer Scheme costs. In 2005, there was a meeting with Browell Smith to discuss service improvements.
	In addition, the Department's representatives Capita at meet the solicitors with the most claims through their solicitor liaison programme, and the Department's officials meet claimants' representatives through regular monitoring group meetings.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many letters he has received from claimants over his Department's handling of miners' compensation; and how many of those expressed  (a) favourable and  (b) critical views of his Department's performance.

Malcolm Wicks: Since September 2002 the Department has received 7,189 pieces of correspondence either directly from claimants or through their respective MPs with respect to the coal health compensation schemes. The Department does not maintain statistical information in the format requested. However, the majority of letters received from claimants are seeking information about the progress of their claims.

Insolvency: Fees and Charges

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidance he has issued on obligations for the liquidator of an insolvent firm to  (a) consider the Official Receiver's Rate when setting his fees and  (b) ensure that a fair and proportionate percentage of the assets owned by the bankrupt firm are used to compensate the creditors.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 6 December 2007
	 Statement of Insolvency Practice 9 provides regulatory guidance which insolvency practitioners must follow when seeking approval for their fees. Matters to be considered by the approving body (usually the creditors) include the effectiveness with which the insolvency practitioner has carried out his duties and the value and nature of the assets with which he has had to deal. In October 2004 the court issued a practice statement which provides guidance on matters that will be taken into account when the court is dealing with an application for review of remuneration.
	Schedule 6 to the Insolvency Rules 1986 provides the percentage rates that may be charged on both the realisation and the distribution of assets where the remuneration of a liquidator or trustee has not been fixed by the liquidation/creditors' committee or the creditors at a general meeting. The percentage scale provided in Schedule 6 is taken from the scale that at one time was applicable to official receivers. However, provisions in the Enterprise Act 2002 introduced a new financial regime for official receivers, whereby creditors pay for the costs of the official receiver's administration of cases. Such costs are now provided for in a Fees Order and do not relate to the remuneration limits set out in Schedule 6.

Macfarlan Smith Ltd

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 25 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 495-6W, on Macfarlan Smith's: monopolies, what the terms of reference of the analysis of the effect of Macfarlan Smith's position are; when the work began; when the analysis is expected to be completed; which Department is undertaking the work; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The terms of reference are as set out in the Government response to the Office of Fair Trading, published on 5 September 2006, looking at the prices charged in the UK by MSL and, where possible, contrasting this with the position in other countries. The Home Office is undertaking this work.

National Nuclear Skills Academy: Public Appointments

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects to announce the appointment of the first chief executive of the National Skills Academy for Nuclear; and when the appointment will begin.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 November 2007
	 The shadow board of the academy appointed Jean Llewellyn to the post of chief executive earlier this month. The appointment was announced on the academy and Cogent websites and in press releases.
	I am delighted that Jean has been appointed. Her sterling work as leader of the development team for the academy has given her unparalleled knowledge of the issues and I know she will make a success of the academy.
	I will formally launch the academy at an event at the London Science museum on the evening of 31 January.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the fulfilment by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority of its statutory obligations under section 9(2)(a) of the Energy Act 2004 in relation to its dealings with the Harwell site.

Malcolm Wicks: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority set out its approach to maintaining a skilled workforce in line with its duties under section 9(2)(a) of the Energy Act 2004 in its Strategy, which was subject to full public consultation and approved by the Secretary of State prior to its publication in March 2006. The implementation of all aspects of that Strategy is set out in Annual Plans, which are approved by the Secretary of State and against which progress is monitored. There is no requirement for and has been no site-specific monitoring of the application of section 9(2)(a) to individual sites by the Secretary of State.

Nuclear Power Stations

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussion he has had on changing funding allocations to improve the way in which high hazard facilities are dealt with at Sellafield and Dounreay; what assessment he has made of the likely effect on Magnox funding of an increase in funding for Sellafield and Dounreay; and whether any consideration has been given to mothballing the Magnox site.

Malcolm Wicks: The comprehensive spending review 2007 (CSR07) provides a generous settlement which will enable the NDA to fund a substantial programme of work across its estate in line with its duties, responsibilities and priorities. It is the responsibility of the NDA to allocate its budget in line with its priorities in consultation with its contractors and other stakeholders.
	The NDA's draft business plan for 2008-09 was published for consultation on 7 November and the consultation period closes on 31 January 2008. This sets out the NDA's key objectives and plans for delivering its priorities over the next three years, for all the NDA sites and is available on the NDA website at
	www.nda.gov.uk

Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the retiring nuclear power stations are to be fully decommissioned and dismantled before any new nuclear power stations are constructed in the same precincts.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department is currently considering responses to the consultation on nuclear power. If the Government were to confirm their preliminary view that it would be in the public interest to allow private sector energy companies the option of investing in new nuclear power stations, we have proposed to undertake a strategic siting assessment (SSA), in combination with a strategic environmental assessment, to develop robust, objective and transparent criteria for assessing the suitability of sites for new nuclear power stations.
	With regard to the question of 'whether retiring nuclear power stations are to be fully decommissioned and dismantled before any new nuclear power stations are constructed in the same precincts', any future uses of retiring nuclear power stations would need to comply with the existing site licence conditions of the Health and Safety Executive, as well as with other relevant safety and environmental regulations.

Nuclear Power Stations: Terrorism

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether there will be enhanced specifications for any new nuclear power stations to strengthen resistance against the possibility of terrorist attacks; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government set out their preliminary view on the future of nuclear power in the consultation document, published on 23 May. In the consultation document the Government recognise that although nuclear power stations pose some unavoidable terrorism risks, the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), the security regulator, is satisfied that the existing security regime is robust and effective and that allowing new nuclear power stations to be built would be unlikely to materially increase the risks to the UK, because any proposals for new nuclear power stations would only be permitted to proceed if they met the stringent regulatory requirements in full, based on the most up-to-date threat assessments. For any new nuclear power stations, the OCNS would be involved in the generic design assessment stage with a view to security being built into the design, rather than retrofitted.
	The consultation ended on 10 October and the Government are currently carefully considering the responses received before they make the decision in the new year.

Political Levy

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether  (a) trade unions and  (b) employers are required to (i) notify in advance and (ii) inform trade union members paying through their salaries by check-off should the amount and value of the political levy on their trade union subscriptions change.

Patrick McFadden: There is no statutory requirement on either the trade union or the employer to notify workers in advance if their check-off payments are to change.

Post Offices: Closures

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when the findings of the consultations on proposed post office closures will be published; and if he will extend the consultation period.

Patrick McFadden: I understand from Post Office Ltd that the consultation period for the east Essex and Suffolk area plan closed on 19 November and that it expects to announce final decisions on its proposals for post office closures and new outreach services on 13 December. No closures will take place until after the Christmas period.
	As the Government's response to the national public consultation on the post office network explained, the arguments for a longer local consultation period were considered but the Government decided to confirm their decision on a six-week local consultation period reflecting the approach followed during the latter stages of the urban reinvention programme. The early stages of developing Post Office Ltd's area plan proposals involve detailed plan development discussions with Postwatch and the involvement of local authorities in advance of formal public consultation. The Government believe that when combined with the subsequent six weeks of public consultation, this enables sufficiently robust consultations to take place at a local area level. We are also mindful of the fact that the organisation representing sub-postmasters argued for a speedy local consultation to minimise uncertainty for sub-postmasters and customers.

Post Offices: Closures

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post offices have closed in each of the 41 area plan areas for each year in which figures are available since 1997.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Post Offices: Sussex

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on the Post Office's compliance with the Cabinet Office's good practice guidance on public consultations in relation to its current consultation in Sussex.

Patrick McFadden: The Cabinet Office code of practice on consultation applies to Government Departments and agencies. As required by the code, the Government consulted for 12 weeks on their proposals for the post office network.
	Post Office Ltd's six-week local public consultations on its area plans are not on the principle of whether there should be post office closures and new outreach services, but on how such changes are to be implemented at the local level. This was made clear in the letter sent to MPs in July which said,
	As you will understand, the consultation in respect of the Local Area Plan will not concern the principle of the need for change of the Network, nor its broad extension and distribution. Rather consultation will be seeking representations on the most effective way in which Government policyas set out in the Response Documentscan be best implemented in the particular Area in question.
	Before these local public consultations begin, Post Office Ltd seeks detailed input from Postwatch, local authorities and sub-postmasters in developing its proposals.

Postal Services

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many items of post sent by his Department and its predecessor were reported missing by the intended recipient in each year since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Radioactive Materials: Transport

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he last discussed the security implications of nuclear waste being transported through London with  (a) the Mayor of London and  (b) the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government's security regulator for the civil nuclear industry, the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS, part of the Health and Safety Executive), has had no discussions with the Mayor of London on the security implications of spent nuclear fuel being transported through London. However, the OCNS has discussed this matter with the Metropolitan police and on a regular basis with the British Transport police.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps are being taken to ensure that radioactive waste from nuclear power stations is secure; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Security measures at licensed nuclear sites and for the transportation of nuclear material (including spent nuclear fuel) are kept under continuing review in light of the prevailing threat and we are satisfied that existing procedures are robust and effective.
	The Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), part of the Health and Safety Executive, is the Government's regulator for security in the civil nuclear industry and is responsible for ensuring, inter alia, that the industry complies with the demanding requirements of the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 (NISR 03).
	The NISR 03 make provision for the protection of nuclear material, both on sites and in transit, against the risks of theft and sabotage, and for the protection of sensitive nuclear information, such as site security arrangements.

Railways

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent by his Department and its predecessor on first-class train tickets in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: The Department spent 1,077,296 on first-class train tickets during the 12-month period November 2006 to October 2007.
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.

Regional Planning and Development

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what advice he has received on regional strategies and regional development agencies from the Ministers for  (a) the North East,  (b) the North West,  (c) Yorkshire and the Humber,  (d) London,  (e) the South East,  (f) the South West,  (g) the East Midlands,  (h) the West Midlands and  (i) the East of England.

Stephen Timms: Two of the nine RDAs, Advantage West Midlands and the East of England development agency, are in the process of reviewing the Regional Economic Strategies (RES): the other RES were reviewed prior to the appointment of Regional Ministers. The Ministers for the West Midlands and the East of England have worked with RDAs both on finalising the RES and on the work of the RDAs in their regions more generally. All the regional Ministers outside London have given advice on appointments to the boards of the RDAs, using the specifications, panel report and supporting documentation supplied by the selection panel for the RDA board appointments.

Renewable Energy

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what renewable energy developments are now being investigated where hitherto Britain has not led the way, with reference to the Prime Minister's answers to questions following his speech on climate and energy policy on 19 November 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: In order to meet the challenging target of 20 per cent. of the EU's energy to come from renewable sources by 2020, we are taking steps to increase the amount of electricity, heat and transport fuel generated from renewable resources. I understand the question relates to my right hon. Friend's comments on biomass, marine and tidal range power and wind, each of which has a part to play in meeting this target.
	We already plan to increase the capacity of offshore wind farms from the 400 MW currently installed to more than 8 GW, and we will shortly be announcing proposals to allow a further significant expansion. We are considering the barriers to further deployment, including the potential difficulties that wind farms pose to air traffic and defence radar and ensuring an appropriate balance between enabling offshore wind farms and protecting shipping. We will ensure that the new Marine Bill responds sensitively to the environmental issues that are posed by offshore wind farm development.
	We are also exploring the potential for major new investment in energy from wave and tidal sources, and we have already announced a study of the feasibility of generating tidal energy from the River Severn. This alone could provide 5 per cent. of Britain's electricity needs. We have also announced that we will include tidal lagoons and barrages below 1 GW capacity within the scope of the renewable obligation, potentially benefiting projects such as those being proposed for Rhyl and Swansea Bay.
	Meeting our target will also require greater use of renewables to heat our homes and our buildings, so we will introduce new measures to bring forward renewable heat with a call for evidence in January prior to a full consultation. And as we expand renewable heat we will need to ensure that wherever feasible and economic we generate electricity and heat together. So instead of all our energy being generated remotely, more can be supplied locally, making more efficient use of our energy resources. In transport we will do more to stimulate sustainable forms and sources of bio fuels.
	We are also legislating to reform the renewables obligation and bring forward newer technologies, and we will introduce in our Planning Bill new measures to speed up the planning system for major infrastructure projects while ensuring that public are properly consulted.

Wi-Fi: Public Buildings

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government have taken to provide Wi-Fi access to the general public in public buildings.

Stephen Timms: Some public authorities make wireless access available to the public in their buildings. For example, some 23 per cent. of library services currently deliver Wi-Fi with 42 per cent. actively planning to offer Wi-Fi in the future. Most of these services are providing Wi-Fi entirely free to the end user. This is a matter for public authorities individually. There is no Government policy on Wi-Fi access to the public in public buildings.

Wylfa Power Station

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what is the estimated cost of extending the life of Wylfa power station for nine months beyond its planned closure date; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has asked Magnox Electric Ltd to prepare a business case for extending the life of Wylfa power station by nine months beyond its planned closure date for consideration in early 2009. The business case will include a robust estimate of the costs of an extension. An initial study in November 2005 estimated that the cost of an extension would be some 110 million.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if his Department will collect information on the number of academies which use  (a) selection by aptitude and  (b) selection using banding as part of their admission arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We do not collect this information. Academies must abide by the schools admissions code as it applies to maintained schools, which includes statutory requirements on selection by aptitude and selection using banding.

Academies: Pupil Exclusions

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what consideration he has given to making academies set up prior to the 2006 model funding agreement more accountable for any permanent exclusions.

Jim Knight: holding answer 29 November 2007
	 Following the consultation exercise that ended in September 2007, Ministers will shortly consider a range of options for the financial consequences of permanent exclusion from academies.
	Any decisions about new arrangements that might be introduced, including those affecting academies that already have signed funding agreements, will be announced in due course.

Assessments: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he plans to take to create an independent body to assess and report upon examination results and standards; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We plan to publish a consultation paper setting out our proposals for the future of qualifications regulation and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority shortly. This will set out the steps we plan to take to create the new independent regulator. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will make a statement to the House to announce the start of the consultation.

Assessments: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what marks were required in Key Stage 2 tests in  (a) English and  (b) mathematics to achieve a level (i) 4 and (ii) 5 in (A) 1999, (B) 2006 and (C) 2007.

Jim Knight: The following tables give the marks required to achieve a level 4 and a level 5 in the Key Stage 2 English and mathematics tests in 1999, 2006 and 2007.
	
		
			  1999Key Stage 2 English and mathematics 
			  Level  Mark range 
			  English  
			 4 48-69 
			 5 70-100 
			   
			  Mathematics  
			 4 52-79 
			 5 80-100 
		
	
	
		
			  2006Key Stage 2 English and mathematics 
			  Level  Mark range 
			  English  
			 4 43-69 
			 5 70-100 
			   
			  Mathematics  
			 4 46-77 
			 5 78-100 
		
	
	
		
			  2007Key Stage 2 English and mathematics 
			  Level  Mark range 
			  English  
			 4 43-69 
			 5 70-100 
			   
			  Mathematics  
			 4 46-78 
			 5 79-100

Building Schools for the Future Programme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of schools built under the Building Schools for the Future programme have  (a) up to and including 1,000 pupils,  (b) 1,001 to 1,500 pupils,  (c) 1,501 to 2,000 pupils and  (d) more than 2,000 pupils;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of schools to be built under the Building Schools for the Future programme are expected to have  (a) up to and including 1,000 pupils,  (b) 1,001 to 1,500 pupils,  (c) 1,501 to 2,000 pupils and  (d) more than 2,000 pupils.

Jim Knight: The number of pupils in the schools that are expected to be rebuilt or refurbished in waves 1 to 3 of Building Schools for the Future is set out in the following table. This includes the early wins and the Bristol Brunei academy, which opened in September.
	These are the current plans, which may change as projects develop. Plans for schools in later waves of the programme have not yet been finalised.
	
		
			  Number of pupils  Number of schools  Percentage of total 
			 0 to 1000 230 56 
			 1,001 to 1,500 155 38 
			 1,501 to 2,000 22 5 
			 2,000+ 5 1 
			  Notes: 1. Includes mainstream and special schools. 2. Waves 1 to 3 only. 3. Does not include recently built schools which are only receiving ICT funding under BSF.

Building Schools for the Future Programme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of each local authority's likely total spending on the Building Schools for the Future programme; what the timetable of the programme is in each authority; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The latest allocation details for each local authority in Building Schools for the Future waves 1 to 4 are set out in the following table. For wave 4 authorities the detailed split between conventional funding (capital grant) and PFI credits is still to be determined. Some of these allocations may also be subject to change as projects develop, particularly for wave 4. Work is ongoing on initial funding envelopes for waves 5 and 6. Local authorities joining the programme in wave 7 or later will receive their allocations on or after 2011-12.
	
		
			   Indicative funding ( million) 
			  Local authority  Conventional  PFI credits 
			  Wave 1   
			 Bradford 7 117 
			 Bristol 8 157 
			 Greenwich 57 184 
			 Knowsley 4 250 
			 Lancashire 34 247 
			 Leeds 142 186 
			 Leicester 165 151 
			 Lewisham 9 119 
			 Manchester 182 0 
			 Newcastle 111 81 
			 Newham 95 65 
			 Sheffield 70 89 
			 Solihull 29 87 
			 South Tyneside and Gateshead 104 113 
			 Stoke 190 0 
			 Sunderland 119 0 
			 Waltham Forest 62 54 
			
			  Wave 2   
			 Birmingham 209 92 
			 Hackney 152 0 
			 Haringey w2 and 4 176 0 
			 Islington 72 104 
			 Kingston on Hull 149 159 
			 Lambeth 87 0 
			 Liverpool 167 0 
			 Middlesbrough 103 0 
			 Nottingham 126 67 
			 Tower Hamlets 88 0 
			
			  Wave 3   
			 Barnsley 28 324 
			 Bradford 112 0 
			 Durham (east) 69 79 
			 Derbyshire (NE) 60 55 
			 Kent 151 99 
			 Lewisham 68 102 
			 Luton 100 32 
			 North Lincolnshire 89 0 
			 Salford 65 134 
			 Sandwell 128 60 
			 Southwark 145 83 
			 Tameside 87 118 
			 Westminster 152 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Local authority  Indicative funding (capital value  million) 
			  Wave 4  
			 Barking and Dagenham 274 
			 Blackburn 122 
			 Bristol 101 
			 Cambridgeshire 110 
			 Coventry 137 
			 Essex 126 
			 Hertfordshire 153 
			 Kent 143 
			 Manchester 102 
			 Oldham 195 
			 Rochdale 171 
			 Sheffield 222 
			 Somerset 87 
			 Telford and Wrekin 149

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when waves 7 to 14 of the Building Schools for the Future programme will be completed.

Jim Knight: Building Schools for the Future aims to renew all secondary schools in England where there is need, in fifteen waves of investment which started in 2005-06. We have now launched six waves of Building Schools for the Future projects, which include 72 authorities, allocating funding until 2010-11.
	We are reviewing the roll-out of waves 7-15 of Building Schools for the Future and will consult on this shortly. Following the consultation, local authorities will be able to resubmit their expressions of interest, and we will publish the revised national programme for waves 7-15 later in 2008. This will give schools, planning authorities and the private sector good time to get themselves ready to deliver waves 7 and 8.

Building Schools for the Future Programme: Closures

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many  (a) secondary and  (b) primary schools built under the Building Schools for the Future programme closed in each local authority area in each year since 2004;
	(2)  how many  (a) secondary and  (b) primary schools built under the Building Schools for the Future programme are planned for closure in each local authority area.

Jim Knight: No schools which have been built or improved through Building Schools for the Future investment have closed or are planned for closure. Building Schools for the Future aims to renew all secondary schools in England where there is need in 15 waves of investment which started in 2005-06. Primary schools are not included in the Building Schools for the Future programme but in the Primary Capital Programme which starts in 2008-09 with 23 pathfinder authorities, and includes all authorities from 2009-10. Its aim is to improve at least 50 per cent. of all primary schools in 14 years, subject to future public spending decisions.
	As authorities plan their investment in either of these programmes, they may include the closure of existing schools, for instance to reflect population movement. School organisation is a local matter, and there are clear statutory procedures including local consultation where changes to schools are proposed.

Children: Disabled

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with European Union counterparts on the treatment of children with physical and mental disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any discussions specifically on this topic with his European Union counterparts.
	This is an area of policy where the European Union does not have any formal competence and which is normally reserved to member states. However member states may agree to cooperate and share good practice where this adds value. UK Ministers and officials do take part in discussions on a variety of issues affecting children and young people, including disability, within the European Union, for example by responding to the Commission's recently published Communication on the Rights of the Child.

Children: Hyperactivity

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what support is available to parents whose children have attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Agencies addressing children's needs are encouraged to work closely with parents and carers. For example, schools and local authorities are statutorily required to have regard to the special educational needs (SEN) code of practice; among other things, the code stresses the importance of all professionals (in schools, local authorities and other agencies) actively seeking to work with parents, valuing the contribution they make. The code also reminds local authorities that section 332A of the Education Act 1996 requires them to arrange for the parent of any child in their area with special educational needs to be provided with advice and information about matters relating to those needs.
	The Children Act 2004 provides a statutory framework for cooperation between local authorities, partner agencies and other relevant organisations to improve outcomes for all children including those who have been diagnosed as experiencing an attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Given that this disorder often entails difficult or challenging behaviour, supporting the child to address his or her behaviour is in itself helpful to his or her parents.
	Drug treatment for ADHD should only be initiated by an appropriately qualified health care professional with relevant expertise and should be based on comprehensive assessment and diagnosis. Continued prescribing and monitoring of drug therapy may be performed by general practitioners, under shared care arrangements.
	Health care professionals are encouraged to work closely with education and social care services to ensure appropriate interventions are offered. These interventions should include focusing on the child's behaviour in the context of his or her relationships at home and in the classroom.
	If there are concerns that a child may have additional needs which require a range of services, or it is unclear what his or her needs are, agencies are increasingly using the common assessment framework (CAP) to identify appropriate ways forward. Within the CAP and its associated guidance, there are prompts for practitioners to consider a wide range of factors and the potential role of other agencies.

Children: Literacy

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government has taken to encourage parents to assist their children with learning to read at home.

Jim Knight: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 The Department is currently supporting a range of initiatives that are designed to encourage parents to become more actively involved in supporting their children with learning to read at home:
	the provision of Bookstart and Booktime book packs to parents of all children in England aged between six-nine months, 18 months, and three years and at reception age, that encourages the sharing of books and reading aloud to their children;
	the Family Reading Campaign with a focus on reaching homes where reading is not part of the family culture;
	the Primary National Strategy's Communication, Language and Literacy Development (CLLD) programme that offers parents information sheets called 'Helping your child with speaking, listening, reading and writing';
	family literacy, language and numeracy (FLLN)a programme that is designed to enable parents and their children to improve their literacy, language and numeracy skills together.
	Looking ahead, the 2008 National Year of Reading will create a powerful focus for these initiatives so that parents and children better understand how reading can benefit their lives.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will commission research into the underlying biomedical cause of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Innovation, University and Skills does not commission medical research. The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a strategic priority area for the MRC and the council is continuing to promote research in this area.

City Technology Colleges: Free School Meals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children at each city technology college established prior to 1 May 1997 are eligible for free school meals at each such school.

Jim Knight: The latest available information relates to January 2007 and is shown in the table.
	
		
			  City technology colleges( 1) , number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 2) , as at January 2007 
			Pupil achievement and attainment tables( 2) 
			  LEA number  School name  Number of pupils  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 Southwark Bacon's College 882 279 31.6 
			 Wandsworth ADT College 885 219 24.7 
			 Croydon BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology 271 31 11.4 
			 Solihull The City Technology College 1,199 238 19.8 
			 Gateshead Emmanuel College 970 65 6.7 
			 South Gloucestershire John Cabot City Technology College 795 60 7.5 
			 Kent The Leigh City Technology College 1,109 73 6.6 
			 Northamptonshire Brooke Weston CTC 913 36 3.9 
			 Telford and Wrekin Thomas Telford School 839 100 11.9 
			 Croydon Harris City Technology College 866 99 11.4 
			 (1) City technology colleges established prior to 1 May 1997. (2) Includes pupils with sole and dual registration who are full-time and aged 0 to 15 (inclusive) and those who are part-time and aged five to 15 (inclusive).  Source: School Census.

Class Sizes

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the ratio of teachers to children in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in (i) the Uxbridge constituency, (ii) each London borough and (iii) England was in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The following tables provide the pupil:teacher ratio in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Uxbridge constituency, London local authorities and England in each January 1997 to 2007.
	
		
			  Pupil:teacher ratio in local authority maintained primary schools in Oxbridge constituency, each London local authority and England, January 1997 to 2007 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 England 23.4 23.7 23.5 23.3 22.9 22.5 22.6 22.7 22.5 22.0 21.8 
			 
			 Uxbridge constituency 22.2 23.2 23.1 22.6 24.1 24.8 25.1 25.7 24.6 22.8 22.8 
			 
			 London 21.9 22.2 22.3 22.3 22.5 22.4 23.3 23.2 22.8 22.3 21.9 
			 City of London 13.9 14.3 14.1 14.3 14.7 (1) 16.7 23.2 16.9 22.5 21.9 
			 Camden 20.0 20.2 20.5 21.0 20.9 20.3 21.4 21.5 21.6 22.0 22.5 
			 Greenwich 21.1 21.4 21.9 21.4 21.4 21.5 22.8 22.3 22.5 21.5 20.9 
			 Hackney 19.5 19.6 19.7 20.1 21.8 21.3 23.5 22.9 21.6 21.5 21.2 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 20.5 21.0 21.4 21.1 21.1 21.8 23.2 23.2 22.4 22.1 21.8 
			 Islington 21.1 22.3 21.6 21.4 22.2 21.2 22.7 22.3 22.5 22.4 21.6 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 17.7 18.4 19.1 19.4 20.6 18.9 20.8 21.5 21.2 20.5 21.1 
			 Lambeth 19.8 20.4 20.5 20.4 20.8 20.7 21.4 20.8 20.7 20.4 20.1 
			 Lewisham 20.6 20.7 20.9 21.5 21.3 21.3 20.6 20.4 20.0 19.8 19.6 
			 Southwark 21.8 22.0 22.0 22.5 22.5 22.0 22.8 22.2 20.9 20.5 19.3 
			 Tower Hamlets 20.7 20.8 20.7 21.0 21.7 21.7 22.9 24.1 23.1 22.4 21.3 
			 Wandsworth 20.5 21.2 21.1 21.1 21.0 20.3 21.4 21.4 21.5 21.0 20.8 
			 Westminster 18.6 19.0 18.6 18.9 20.5 21.4 22.1 22.4 22.5 21.8 21.0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 22.7 23.1 23.2 22.9 23.6 23.6 24.1 24.6 25.0 23.9 23.8 
			 Barnet 21.3 21.4 21.5 21.3 22.2 22.2 22.7 23.0 23.4 22.4 21.7 
			 Bexley 24.8 25.3 24.5 24.6 24.5 23.8 25.1 24.7 23.9 23.0 22.7 
			 Brent 21.9 21.5 21.9 22.0 22.3 21.9 23.6 24.2 23.7 22.8 22.2 
			 Bromley 24.4 24.8 24.3 24.2 23.6 23.4 23.7 23.7 23.9 23.4 22.8 
			 Croydon 23.0 23.3 23.5 23.2 23.1 22.8 22.8 23.0 22.8 22.5 22.5 
			 Ealing 22.5 22.8 22.9 22.8 23.1 23.8 24.8 24.8 24.6 24.4 24.4 
			 Enfield 23.2 22.8 23.2 22.7 22.9 22.6 23.6 22.6 22.5 21.6 21.6 
			 Haringey 21.1 21.8 21.5 22.5 22.8 22.7 23.8 23.4 23.3 22.7 22.1 
			 Harrow 20.7 21.5 21.6 22.3 21.9 22.7 23.8 23.8 23.6 22.6 22.4 
			 Havering 23.8 24.2 24.4 24.2 23.7 23.7 24.2 24.3 23.6 22.7 22.6 
			 Hillingdon 22.6 23.4 23.2 23.1 24.0 24.4 25.5 25.2 25.2 23.5 23.0 
			 Hounslow 21.5 21.8 22.0 21.9 22.2 22.8 23.7 23.0 22.5 22.5 22.3 
			 Kingston upon Thames 23.9 24.1 24.3 24.1 22.6 23.8 23.2 22.0 22.5 21.8 22.5 
			 Merton 21.7 22.0 22.6 22.1 21.9 21.5 22.7 23.2 22.9 22.9 22.7 
			 Newham 24.3 24.4 25.4 24.7 24.5 23.8 24.9 24.5 22.3 21.3 20.7 
			 Redbridge 22.9 23.0 23.0 23.3 23.4 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.1 22.8 22.4 
			 Richmond upon Thames 21.7 22.2 22.4 22.5 21.9 21.7 21.9 21.6 21.9 21.5 21.3 
			 Sutton 23.9 23.8 23.5 23.1 22.9 23.4 24.7 24.1 24.0 23.3 23.1 
			 Waltham Forest 21.7 22.4 22.8 22.5 23.0 23.0 24.5 25.2 24.3 24.4 23.8 
			 (1) Nil or not applicable.  Source: School Census 
		
	
	
		
			  Pupil:teacher ratio in local authority maintained secondary schools in Uxbridge constituency, each London local authority and England, January 1997 to 2007 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 England 16.7 16.9 17.0 17.2 17.1 16.9 17.0 17.0 16.7 16.6 16.5 
			 
			 Uxbridge constituency 15.9 15.6 16.0 16.5 16.7 16.7 18.8 17.9 17.9 16.8 17.2 
			 
			 London 15.9 16.0 16.1 16.5 16.6 16.6 16.9 17.1 16.5 16.2 16.1 
			 City of London (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			 Camden 14.3 14.6 15.2 15.6 15.3 16.0 14.8 15.7 15.0 15.0 14.8 
			 Greenwich 16.0 16.3 16.3 16.6 16.0 15.2 16.4 16.7 15.8 15.7 15.6 
			 Hackney 14.9 14,5 15.7 15.5 17.1 16.9 16.3 17.5 16.3 15.8 16.0 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 17.4 17.5 17.5 18.1 17.5 17.0 18.0 17.7 18.4 16.7 15.5 
			 Islington 15.7 16.0 16.0 15.9 15.9 16.1 16.2 16.0 16.2 15.5 15.7 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 12.9 13.4 14.3 14.0 15.2 14.9 16.9 15.6 16.0 15.9 15.8 
			 Lambeth 15.0 14.7 15.5 15.2 15.4 15.8 16.2 16.7 15.9 15.9 15.6 
			 Lewisham 15.2 15.6 15.7 15.6 15.8 15.9 15.4 15.5 16.1 15.9 16.7 
			 Southwark 15.8 15.9 15.8 16.2 16.4 15.9 17.1 17.4 16.2 15.7 15.1 
			 Tower Hamlets 15 0.9 15.8 16.0 16.3 16.1 16.1 16.2 16.9 15.1 13.9 16.6 
			 Wandsworth 15.5 15.7 16.1 16.1 15.8 16.3 16.4 16.5 15.9 16.1 15.2 
			 Westminster 14.9 15.2 15.0 15.1 15.0 15.1 15.6 16.7 15.5 14.5 14.8 
			 Barking and Dagenham 15.7 15.8 16.0 16.3 16.8 16.6 17.4 17.1 17.4 16.8 16.6 
			 Barnet 14.8 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.9 15.7 15.4 16.1 15.6 15.6 15.7 
			 Bexley 17.4 17.4 17.2 17.6 17.8 17.9 18.7 18.7 18.4 17.6 17.8 
			 Brent 15.2 15.0 15.0 15.8 16.0 15.7 16.3 16.7 16.1 16.1 15.7 
			 Bromley 16.3 16.4 16.6 17.2 17.1 17.3 17.6 17.6 17.2 17.1 16.8 
			 Croydon 16.2 16.4 16.4 16.9 17.3 17.4 17.3 17.9 17.6 16.8 16.4 
			 Ealing 16.4 16.9 16.7 17.1 17.6 17.8 17.6 17.7 17.0 16.6 16.4 
			 Enfield 15.9 15.8 15.9 16.3 16.3 16.3 17.2 17.1 16.4 16.0 16.0 
			 Haringey 14.6 14.7 15.4 15.5 15.8 15.6 15.3 15.2 14.8 14.7 15.6 
			 Harrow 15.5 15.9 15.9 16.8 17.0 16.7 17.3 17.2 16.6 16.5 16.0 
			 Havering 16.3 16.4 16.6 16.6 17.2 17.3 17.5 17.7 16.9 17.2 16.5 
			 Hillingdon 16.2 15.8 16.3 16.4 17.0 17.3 18.5 18.0 17.1 17.0 16.6 
			 Hounslow 15.8 16.2 16.5 17.2 16.9 16.8 17.4 17.0 16.5 16.5 16.0 
			 Kingston upon Thames 16.6 16.4 167 17.1 16.9 17.2 17.1 17.1 16.5 16.2 16.1 
			 Merton 17.2 17.0 17.6 17.8 18.0 17.9 18.1 19.0 18.1 19.2 18.0 
			 Newham 16.3 16.3 16.4 16.6 15.8 16.5 16.7 16.6 16.0 15.6 15.5 
			 Redbridge 16.5 16.7 16.7 16.8 16.7 16.6 16.9 16.9 16.4 16.4 16.6 
			 Richmond upon Thames 17.0 16.6 16.2 17.9 18.4 18.3 17.6 19.1 18.0 18.7 17.5 
			 Sutton 16.8 17.0 17.0 17.6 17.6 17.7 17.7 17.4 17.1 16.9 16.7 
			 Waltham Forest 15.6 15.6 15.7 16.0 15.8 16.7 16.8 16.6 16.0 16.2 15.6 
			 (1) Nil or not applicable.  Source: School Census

Curriculum and Standards Framework: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much Curriculum and Standards Framework funding was received by schools in  (a) Romford,  (b) the London Borough of Havering and  (c) London in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The Department allocates education funding to local authorities so the requested information for the Romford constituency is not available. The London borough of Havering has been allocated 17.92 million of revenue funding through the standards fund and school standards grants for 2007-08. Local authorities in Greater London have been allocated a total of 721.69 million of revenue funding through the standards fund and school standards grants. These allocations are in addition to the main revenue funding for schools, through the dedicated schools grant, of 141.74 million for London borough of Havering and 4,660.55 million for Greater London for 2007-08.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 629W, on education maintenance allowance, when he expects a copy of the Learning and Skills Council's analysis of the effect of the Education Maintenance Allowance Scheme to be placed in the Library.

Jim Knight: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for the operation of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) Scheme. An analysis of the impact of EMA on participation and attainment has been commissioned by the LSC and I understand that the LSC placed a copy of the results of this analysis, with a summary of the key findings in the House Library, on 3 December 2007.

Education: Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what education spending in England as a proportion of gross domestic product was in each year since 1996-97, expressed to two decimal places; what estimate he has made of the equivalent proportions in each year until 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Education spend as a proportion of GDP is only available for the UK. The Government will increase UK spending in education as a proportion of GDP from 4.68 per cent. in 1996-97 to 5.64 per cent. in 2010-11. The full run of figures from 1996-97 to 2010-11 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Total Government UK education spend as a proportion of GDP( 1) 
			   Percentage 
			 1996-97 4.68 
			 1997-99 4.51 
			 1998-99 4.43 
			 1999-2000 4.40 
			 2000-01 4.58 
			 2001-02 4.89 
			 2002-03 4.90 
			 2003-04 5.14 
			 2004-05 5.23 
			 2005-06 5.37 
			 2006-07 5.41 
			 2007-08 5.53 
			 2008-09 5.56 
			 2009-10 5.55 
			 2010-11 5.64 
			 (1) Calculated as the ratio of UK education spend to UK GDP.  Sources: ONS and HMT Public Expenditure Database

Education: Gender

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what effect biological differences between boys and girls have on their respective attainment  (a) in literacy and  (b) overall, with reference to the answer of 15 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 870-71W, on education: gender.

Jim Knight: holding answer 3 December 2007
	 As stated in the reply given on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 870W, the reasons for girls' better attainment in literacy and indeed overall are complex, but appear mainly related to biological differences, differences in maturation, and differences in attitudes to learning and reading at different ages. The Department is unable to estimate the differential impact of these factors, but the research evidence is summarised in chapter 14 of the previously cited paper Gender and education: the evidence on pupils in England.

Educational Psychology

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when it will be possible for new entrants to submit applications for educational psychologist courses commencing in 2008.

Jim Knight: holding answer 3 December 2007
	It is anticipated that the Children's Workforce Development Council will publish the handbook and application forms for courses for trainee educational psychologists (commencing in September 2008) in January 2008.
	Further information can be accessed via the CWDC website at:
	www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/educationalpsychology

Foundation Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will list by local authority area those schools which have  (a) applied for and  (b) been granted (i) trust and (ii) foundation status since 1 September 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Schools do not have to apply to the Department for Children, School and Families to become a trust or foundation school. A change of school category to foundation and the acquisition of a trust are prescribed alterations. To make such a prescribed alteration the governing body must publish proposals in accordance with provisions in the Education and Inspections Act 2006, regulations made under that Act and having regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State under that Act. The proposals are then decided by the governing body (or the Schools Adjudicator where proposals to acquire a trust have been referred by the local authority). There is no role for Ministers in the decision-making process.
	A list of schools that have published and approved proposals to change category to foundation and schools that have published and approved proposals to become trust schools since the date specified has been lodged with the House of Commons Library.
	
		
			  Schools that, as of 29 November 2007, have published proposals to become a foundation school (without a foundation) since 1 September 2006 (by local authority) 
			  Local authority  School  Publication date  Decision date  Proposed implementation date  Decision type 
			 Barnet Hollickwood Primary School 3 January 2007 18 April 2007 1 September 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Bath and North East Somerset Norton Hill School 23 April 2007 24 May 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Bexley Erith School 27 February 2007 18 April 2007 4 June 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Brent Sudbury Primary School 11 January 2007 15 February 2007 1 April 2007 Approved 
			 Bromley Cator Park School 21 May 2007 20 June 2007 3 September 2007 Approved 
			 Cheshire The Whitby High School 30 October 2006 27 November 2006 1 January 2007 Approved 
			 Cheshire Tarporley Community High School 8 November 2007  14 January 2008 Awaiting decision 
			 Cornwall Callington Community College 10 January 2007 13 February 2007 1 April 2007 Approved 
			 Cumbria Morton School 15 September 2006 17 October 2006 18 October 2006 Approved 
			 Gloucestershire Barnwood Park Arts College(1) 31 October 2006 17 January 2007 1 January 2007 Withdrawn 
			 Gloucestershire Barnwood Park Arts College 17 January 2007 15 January 2007 1 March 2007 Approved 
			 Hampshire Cowplain Community School 16 November 2007  9 January 2008 Awaiting decision 
			 Haringey Fortismere School 18 June 2007 19 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Hartlepool Manor College of Technology 26 February 2007 26 March 2007 16 April 2007 Approved 
			 Hertfordshire Sunny Bank Primary School 16 October 2006 22 November 2006 23 November 2006 Approved 
			 Isle of Wight Sandown High School 10 August 2007 17 September 2007 1 September 2008 Approved with modification 
			 Kingston upon Thames Tolworth Girls' School and Centre for Continuing Education 17 November 2006 31 January 2007 15 April 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Lambeth Wyvil Primary School 13 February 2007 26 June 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Lincolnshire Boston High School 9 May 2007 14 June 2007 31 August 2007 Approved 
			 Lincolnshire Cherry Willingham Community School 4 October 2007  5 April 2008 Awaiting decision 
			 Milton Keynes Walton High 12 October 2006 13 November 2006 1 January 2007 Approved 
			 Milton Keynes Eaton Mill Primary School 10 October 2007  7 January 2008 Awaiting decision 
			 North Somerset Churchill Community Foundation School and Sixth Form Centre 23 March 2007 18 October 2007 1 November 2007 Approved with modification 
			 North Somerset Gordano School 23 May 2007 30 August 2007 1 November 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Northamptonshire The Latimer Arts College 2 March 2007 17 May 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Northamptonshire Sponne School Technology College 26 June 2007 17 September 2007 1 October 2007 Approved 
			 Northamptonshire Nicholas Hawksmoor Primary School 14 September 2007 30 October 2007 1 January 2008 Approved 
			 Nottinghamshire Chilwell School 11 September 2006 5 March 2007 1 September 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Nottinghamshire Redhill School 6 November 2006 4 December 2006 2 January 2007 Approved 
			 Nottinghamshire Carlton le Willows School and Technology College 26 February 2007 7 June 2007 1 September 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Oldham North Chadderton Community School and Sixth Form Centre 5 November 2007  1 January 2008 Awaiting decision 
			 Oxfordshire King Alfred's Community and Sports College 28 September 2006 6 November 2006 1 January 2007 Approved 
			 Oxfordshire Banbury School 1 March 2007 26 April 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Oxfordshire The Warriner School 16 November 2007  1 February 2008 Awaiting decision 
			 Reading Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre 8 June 2007 6 March 2007 1 September 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Redcar and Cleveland Eston Park School 26 March 2007 28 June 2007 1 January 2008 Approved 
			 Sandwell Shireland Language College and Sixth Form Centre 12 September 2006 11 October 2006 12 October 2006 Approved 
			 Sheffield Abbeydale Grange Specialist Media Arts School 19 January 2007 6 March 2007 1 August 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Somerset Ansford Community School 8 September 2006 12 October 2006 1 April 2007 Approved 
			 Southampton Bellemoor School 13 September 2007 18 October 2008 3 January 2008 Approved 
			 Staffordshire Violet Lane Infant School 11 September 2006 9 October 2006 1 January 2007 Approved 
			 Stoke-on-Trent Haywood High School and Engineering College 16 April 2007 23 May 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Surrey Weydon School 5 October 2007  1 January 2008 Awaiting decision 
			 Trafford Sale Grammar School 1 November 2007  1 January 2008 Awaiting decision 
			 Trafford Stretford Grammar School 9 November 2007  7 January 2008 Awaiting decision 
			 Worcestershire Haybridge High School and Sixth Form 19 October 2006 30 November 2006 1 January 2007 Approved 
			 (1 )Withdrawn.   Note:  This list does not include those schools which have published proposals to become foundation schools with foundationsthese foundation schools are shown as trust schools in subsequent tables. 
		
	
	
		
			  Schools that, as of 29 November 2007, have approved proposals to become a foundation school (without a foundation) since 1 September 2006 (by local authority) 
			  Local authority  School  Publication date  Decision date  Implementation date  Decision type 
			 Barnet Hollickwood Primary School 3 January 2007 18 April 2007 1 September 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Bath and North East Somerset Norton Hill School 23 April 2007 24 May 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Bexley Erith School 27 February 2007 18 April 2007 4 June 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Brent Sudbury Primary School 11 January 2007 15 February 2007 1 April 2007 Approved 
			 Bromley Cator Park School 21 May 2007 20 June 2007 3 September 2007 Approved 
			 Cheshire The Whitby High School 30 October 2006 27 November 2006 1 January 2007 Approved 
			 Cornwall Callington Community College 10 January 2007 13 February 2007 1 April 2007 Approved 
			 Cumbria Morton School 15 September 2006 17 October 2006 18 October 2006 Approved 
			 Gloucestershire Barnwood Park Arts College 17 January 2007 15 January 2007 1 March 2007 Approved 
			 Haringey Fortismere School 18 June 2007 19 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Hartlepool Manor College of Technology 26 February 2007 26 March 2007 16 April 2007 Approved 
			 Hertfordshire Sunny Bank Primary School 16 October 2006 22 November 2006 23 November 2006 Approved 
			 Isle of Wight Sandown High School 10 August 2007 17 September 2007 1 September 2008 Approved with modification 
			 Kingston upon Thames Tolworth Girls' School and Centre for Continuing Education 17 November 2006 31 January 2007 15 April 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Lambeth Wyvil Primary School 13 February 2007 26 June 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Lincolnshire Boston High School 9 May 2007 14 June 2007 31 August 2007 Approved 
			 Milton Keynes Walton High 12 October 2006 13 November 2006 1 January 2007 Approved 
			 North Somerset Churchill Community Foundation School and Sixth Form Centre 23 March 2007 18 October 2007 1 November 2007 Approved with modification 
			 North Somerset Gordano School 23 May 2007 30 August 2007 1 November 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Northamptonshire The Latimer Arts College 2 March 2007 17 May 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Northamptonshire Sponne School Technology College 26 June 2007 17 September 2007 1 October 2007 Approved 
			 Northamptonshire Nicholas Hawksmoor Primary School 14 September 2007 30 October 2007 1 January 2008 Approved 
			 Nottinghamshire Redhill School 6 November 2006 4 December 2006 2 January 2007 Approved 
			 Nottinghamshire Chilwell School 11 September 2006 5 March 2007 1 September 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Nottinghamshire Carlton le Willows School and Technology College 26 February 2007 7 June 2007 1 September 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Oxfordshire King Alfred's Community and Sports College 28 September 2006 6 November 2006 1 January 2007 Approved 
			 Oxfordshire Banbury School 1 March 2007 26 April 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Reading Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre 8 June 2007 6 March 2007 1 September 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Redcar and Cleveland Eston Park School 26 March 2007 28 June 2007 1 January 2008 Approved 
			 Sandwell Shireland Language College and Sixth Form Centre 12 September 2006 11 October 2006 12 October 2006 Approved 
			 Sheffield Abbeydale Grange Specialist Media Arts School 19 January 2007 6 March 2007 1 August 2007 Approved with modification 
			 Somerset Ansford Community School 8 September 2006 12 October 2006 1 April 2007 Approved 
			 Southampton Bellemoor School 13 September 2007 18 October 2008 3 January 2008 Approved 
			 Staffordshire Violet Lane Infant School 11 September 2006 9 October 2006 1 January 2007 Approved 
			 Stoke-on-Trent Haywood High School and Engineering College 16 April 2007 23 May 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Worcestershire Haybridge High School and Sixth Form 19 October 2006 30 November 2006 1 January 2007 Approved 
			  Note: This list does not include those schools which have approved proposals to become foundation schools with foundationsthese foundation schools are shown as trust schools in subsequent tables. 
		
	
	
		
			  Schools that, as of 29 November 2007, have published proposals to become a trust school (i.e. a foundation school with a foundation) since 1 September 2006 by local authority 
			  Local authority  School  Publication date  Decision date  Proposed implementation date  Decision type 
			 Bedfordshire Sharnbrook John Gibbard Community Lower School 10 June 2007 12 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Bedfordshire Pinchmill Lower School 10 June 2007 18 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Bedfordshire Lincroft Middle School 10 June 2007 14 June 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Bedfordshire Margaret Beaufort Middle School 10 June 2007 16 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Bedfordshire Sharnbrook Upper School 10 June 2007 10 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Bedfordshire Harrold Priory Middle School 10 June 2007 28 August 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Bedfordshire Turvey Lower School 10 June 2007 24 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Devon South Dartmoor Community College 5 June 2007 11 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Devon Tavistock College(1) 7 June 2007 17 July 2007 1 September 2007 Withdrawn 
			 Dudley The Earls High School 5 June 2007 9 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Dudley Leasowes Community College 5 June 2007 11 August 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Dudley Windsor High School 5 June 2007 11 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Durham The Hermitage School 11 June 2007 18 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Leeds Garforth Community College 5 June 2007 10 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Leeds East Garforth Primary School 5 June 2007 3 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Leeds Garforth Green Lane Primary School 5 June 2007 9 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Leeds Ninelands Primary School 5 June 2007 3 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Leeds Strawberry Fields Primary School 7 June 2007 10 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Leicestershire Belvoir High School and Community Centre 1 November 2007  1 February 2008 Awaiting decision 
			 Lincolnshire The Central Technology and Sports College 25 October 2007  1 January 2008 Awaiting decision 
			 Lincolnshire Market Rasen De Aston School 18 June 2007 17 July 2007 1 January 2008 Approved 
			 North Tyneside Monkseaton Community High School 4 June 2007 16 July 2007 20 August 2007 Approved 
			 Northamptonshire The Ferrers Specialist Arts College 4 June 2007 2 July 2007 3 September 2007 Approved 
			 Northumberland Ashington Hirst Park Middle School 11 June 2007 12 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Northumberland Ashington Central First School 11 June 2007 12 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Northumberland Bothal Middle School 11 June 2007 12 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Northumberland Ashington Community High School Sports College 11 June 2007 12 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Northumberland Ashington Wansbeck First School 11 June 2007 12 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Oxfordshire Banbury School 16 July 2007 20 September 2007 1 January 2008 Approved 
			 Plymouth, City of Widewell Primary School 4 June 2007 9 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Somerset The Blue School 14 December 2006 30 January 2007 1 April 2007 Approved 
			 Stockport Reddish Vale Technology College 12 November 2007  7 February 2008 Awaiting decision 
			 Wakefield Horbury SchoolA Specialist! Language College 14 September 2007  1 January 2008 Awaiting decision 
			 Worcestershire Kingsley College 25 May 2007 17 July 2007 1 September 2007 Approved 
			 Worcestershire Woodrush Community High School 4 June 2007 11 July 2007 3 September 2007 Approved 
			 (1 )Withdrawn.

Further Education: Absences

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what mechanism is used to measure the number of pupils aged 16 to 18 years attending  (a) maintained sixth form colleges,  (b) further education colleges and  (c) maintained secondary schools being reported absent.

Jim Knight: The requested information is not collected centrally.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of pupils in maintained schools achieved five A* to C grades in 2007, excluding equivalents.

Jim Knight: The percentage of pupils in maintained schools who achieved 5 A* to C grades in the academic year 2006/07, excluding equivalents, is 51.9 per cent. If GCSE short courses and GCSEs in vocational subjects are included, this figure increases to 53.9 per cent.
	This figure relates to pupils who were 15-years-old at the start of the academic year, i.e. on 31 August 2006. It includes any attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years.
	The 2006/07 data are provisional. Schools are given the opportunity to amend their results as part of the data checking exercise before the revised data is published in January.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many pupils eligible for free school meals achieved five A* to C grades in English, mathematics, science and a modern foreign language in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals studied for a modern foreign language at GCSE in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of the pupils who achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE gained English, mathematics, science and a modern foreign language GCSEs in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils studied  (a) history,  (b) geography and  (c) a modern language GCSE in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The available information is given in the table.
	
		
			  Number of 15-year-old pupils'( 1)  entered for a GCSE in specific subjects in all schools, 1997 to 2007 
			   History  Geography  Modern foreign language 
			 1997 207,486 259,809 432,459 
			 1998 189,070 235,908 444,704 
			 1999 188,934 229,802 455,385 
			 2000 190,279 217,087 459,379 
			 2001 195,231 220,378 473,393 
			 2002 193,945 208,274 461,359 
			 2003 194,801 200,127 453,914 
			 2004 205,539 197,123 437,214 
			 2005 202,591 186,706 372,704 
			 2006 206,517 184,978 324,703 
			 2007(2) 202,781 183,304 299,174 
			 (1) Those pupils aged 15 at 31 August at the start of the academic year. (2) Provisional

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils studied for  (a) 14,  (b) 15,  (c) 16,  (d) 17 and  (e) 18 or more GCSEs in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the proportion of male pupils eligible for free school meals obtained 5 A* to C GCSE grades including English and mathematics in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by ethnicity.

Jim Knight: The available information has been placed in the Library. The figures have been taken from the Statistical First Release 'National Curriculum Assessment, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics in England 2005/06 (Provisional)' which is available at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000693/index.shtml.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils achieving combined Level 4 at key stage 2 reading, writing and mathematics tests in each year between 1997 and 2002 subsequently went on to achieve five GCSEs at A* to C.

Jim Knight: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of pupils in each London borough achieved more than five A* to C grades at GCSE in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The available information has been placed in the Library.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Mathematics

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils who achieved Level 5 at Key Stage 3 mathematics in each year between 1997 and 2004 subsequently went on to achieve a C grade or above at GCSE mathematics.

Jim Knight: The information requested is in the following table. The figures relate to pupils in maintained mainstream schools in England.
	
		
			   Number of pupils at Level 5 in KS3 maths who achieved A*-C in GCSE maths  Percentage of pupils at Level 5 in KS3 maths who achieved A*-C in GCSE maths  Number of pupils at Level 5 or above in KS3 maths who achieved A*-C in GCSE maths  Percentage of pupils at Level 5 or above in KS3 maths who achieved A*-C in GCSE maths 
			 2001/02 42,600 32.7 251,800 70.6 
			 2002/03 37,000 27.5 253,900 67.3 
			 2003/04 35,800 27.6 271,500 68.5 
			 2004/05 31,100 24.6 284,600 68.8 
			 2005/06 29,100 23.4 298,800 69.0 
			 2006/07 (provisional) 32,400 26.1 313,400 71.0

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Standards

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils gained  (a) no GCSEs and  (b) fewer that five A* to G grades including English and mathematics at GCSE in each year since 1999.

Jim Knight: Information on the percentages who achieve at least five or more A*-G at GCSE and equivalent, including English and maths GCSE and the percentages who achieve any qualification is in the following table and in table 1 of SFR 34/2007 'GCSE and equivalent results in England, 2006/07 (Provisional)'
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000754/index.shtml
	The underlying numbers can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Table 1: Time series of GCSE and equivalent attempts and achievements in all schools , y ears: 1995/96 to 2006/07( 1)  ( p rovisional)( 2) ;  c overage: England 
			Percentage who achieved 
			   Number of pupils( 3)  5+ A*-G grades inc. English and mathematics GCSEs  Any passes( 4) 
			  15-year-olds
			 1995/96 594,035 83.4 92.2 
			 1996/97(5) 586,766 83.9 92.3 
			 1997/98 575,210 83.8 93.4 
			 1998/99 580,972 85.8 94.0 
			 1999/2000 580,393 86.8 94.4 
			 2000/01 603,318 86.9 94.5 
			 2001/02 606,554 87.1 94.6 
			 2002/03 622,122 86.6 94.8 
			 2003/04(5) 643,560 86.7 95.9 
			 2004/05 636,771 86.9 96.4 
			 2005/06 648,942 86.8 96.7 
			 2006/07 656,667 86.1 97.3 
			  Pupils at End Key Stage 4
			 2004/05 633,414 88.0 97.4 
			 2005/06 645,931 87.8 97.8 
			 2006/07 648,752 87.7 99.1 
			 (1) Including attempts and achievement in previous academic years (2 )Figures for 2006/07 are provisional, all other figures are final. (3) Number of pupils on roll aged 15 at the start of the academic year or from 2004/05 end of Key Stage 4 figures are the number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in that academic year (4) From 2003/04 this includes attempts in entry level qualifications which do not contribute towards A*-C or A*-G thresholds (5) Percentages from 1996/97 include GCSEs and GNVQs (6) Percentages from 2003/04 include GCSEs and other equivalent qualifications approved for use pre-16.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Standards

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many pupils in maintained schools sat English language, mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, a foreign language and history or geography GCSEs in 2007; and how many of them achieved A* to C grades in all of these subjects;
	(2)  how many pupils in maintained schools sat English language, English literature, mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, a foreign language, history and geography GCSEs in 2007; and how many achieved A* to C grades in all of these subjects.

Jim Knight: The information in the following table provides figures for pupils in all schools. Figures for maintained schools can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  GCSE attempts and achievements in selected subjects of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in schools (numbers): Years: 2006/07 (provisional):  c overage: England 
			  Thousand 
			   Number attempted  Number achieved A*-C 
			 English 618.3 389.5 
			 Mathematics 617.0 354.1 
			 Physics 53.6 46.9 
			 Chemistry 51.0 46.8 
			 Biological Sciences 54.1 48.7 
			 Geography 185.0 123.4 
			 History 204.2 136.9 
			 Any Modern Language 301.4 200.2 
			 English Literature 522.2 359.7 
		
	
	This information can be found in table 7 of SFR 34/2007 'GCSE and equivalent results in England, 2006/07 (Provisional)'
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000754/index.shtml

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which 20 English schools achieved the lowest GCSE success rates in the latest available year on the basis of  (a) five A*-C at GCSE and  (b) five A*-C at GCSE, including English and mathematics, and what the (i) local authority and (ii) school type was of each; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information required is in the Library, in the Schools and Colleges Achievement and Attainment Tables.
	Data for the academic year 2006/07 are not yet published. They will be available from the Library in January 2008.

Head Teachers: Qualifications

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the National Professional Qualification for Headship will be compulsory for all new head teachers, including those changing schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) will be compulsory for all new heads in maintained schools or non-maintained special schools, both for primary and secondary head teachers, but not deputies. The Education (Headteachers' Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003, SI 3111 apply. This requires them to have, or be working towards, NPQH if they took up their first headship post in a local authority maintained school or a special school after April 2004. It will be mandatory to hold the qualification (rather than be working towards it) from 1 April 2009. The NPQH prepares candidates for the role of headship and is a benchmark qualification underpinned by the National Standards for Headteachers.

Mathematics and Science: Teachers

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many mathematics graduates entered the teaching profession in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many science graduates entered the teaching profession in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: Data relating to all mathematics and science graduates entering the teaching profession are not held centrally.
	The following tables show the number of mainstream final year postgraduate Initial Teacher (ITT) Trainees who have a first degree or a related degree in the subject of their ITT training and are known to have entered a teaching post six months after gaining Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for trainees in:
	 (a) Mathematics
	 (b) Science
	
		
			  (a) Mathematics 
			   Number of final year mathematics ITT trainees known to enter a teaching post six months after gaining QTS 
			   First degree in mathematics  First degree in mathematics related subject 
			 1998/99 360 40 
			 1999/2000 410 40 
			 2000/01 390 30 
			 2001/02 400 40 
			 2002/03 420 280 
			 2003/04 590 380 
			 2004/05 610 370 
			 2005/06 580 390 
			  Source: TDA's Performance Profiles 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Science 
			   Number of final year science ITT trainees  known to enter a teaching post six  months after gaining QTS 
			   First degree in science  First degree in science related subject 
			 1998/99 870 270 
			 1999/2000 910 260 
			 2000/01 900 360 
			 2001/02 970 440 
			 2002/03 490 840 
			 2003/04 550 1,060 
			 2004/05 530 1,020 
			 2005/06 570 1,190 
			  Notes: 1. Mainstream includes universities and other higher education institutions, SCITT and OU, but excludes employment based routes (EBR). 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Data relating to the employment status of trainees through EBR are not currently collected. 4. The method of classifying degree subjects changed as a result of the introduction of the JACS coding structure in 2002/03. Data collected prior to this date under the HESA coding system cannot be directly compared using the direct match alone. Therefore figures which a direct match and a related match to the subject of ITT training have been presented.  5. Performance profiles data are collected at the end of a trainees first year, therefore 2006/07 data are collected in autumn 2007 and will be published in July 2008. 6. The table above only covers those who hold a first degree in the subject of their ITT training course, it does not cover those who have a first degree in mathematics or science but are entering an ITT course which is not mathematics or science. 7. There are additional postgraduate trainees on mathematics and science ITT courses where the first degree is unknown, so there are potentially more mathematics and science graduates entering teaching posts. 8. Figures include trainees who enter maintained schools, non-maintained schools and schools where the sector is unknown. 9. Trainees known not to be employed in teaching posts six months after gaining QTS include those who are seeking a teaching post and those who are not seeking a teaching post and those with an unknown destination. 10. The above figures only cover those who are known to enter a teaching post six months after gaining QTS; therefore those who enter teaching after this will not be covered. This will also not include graduates who enter teaching who are not Newly Qualified Teachers.  Source: TDA's Performance Profiles

Mathematics and Science: Teachers

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many mathematics graduates entered training to become secondary school teachers in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of Mathematics graduates and the number of graduates with a degree relating to Mathematics who were entering postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses to qualify as a secondary school teacher in mathematics, through Mainstream ITT and Employment Based Routes (EBR), between 1998/99 and 2005/06
	
		
			   Number of mathematics graduates entering ITT courses in mathematics  Number of graduates with a degree relating to mathematics entering ITT courses in mathematics 
			  Year of entry  Mainstream  EBR  Mainstream  EBR 
			 1998/99 470  60  
			 1999/2000 570  70  
			 2000/01 540  40  
			 2001/02 550  60  
			 2002/03 620 100 440 180 
			 2003/04 790 190 560 200 
			 2004/05 810 230 570 170 
			 2005/06 800 250 580 140 
			  Notes: 1. Mainstream includes Universities and other Higher Education institutions, SCITT and OU, but excludes employment based routes. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Data relating to postgraduates first degree was not collected prior to 2002/03 for trainees entering ITT through EBR. 4. The method of classifying degree subjects changed as a result of the introduction of the JACS coding structure in 2002/03. Data collected prior to this date under the HESA coding system cannot be directly compared using the direct match alone. Therefore figures which a direct match and a related match to mathematics have been presented. 5. Performance profiles data is collected at the end of a trainees first year, therefore 2006/07 data is collected in autumn 2007 and will be published in July 2008. 6. The table above only covers those who hold a first degree in the subject of their ITT training course, it does not cover those who have a first degree in mathematics but are entering an ITT course which is not mathematics. 7. There are additional postgraduate trainees where the first degree is unknown.  Source:  TDA's Performance Profiles

Mathematics and Science: Teachers

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many science graduates completed training as secondary school teachers in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) outcome for science graduates and graduates with a degree relating to science who were Initial Teacher Training (ITT) postgraduate final year trainees in science between 1998/99 and 2005/06, through Mainstream ITT and Employment Based Routes (EBR).
	
		
			Postgraduate science trainees with a degree in science  Postgraduate science trainees with a degree in a science related subject 
			   Route to ITT  Total number final year of trainees  Number of final year trainees gaining QTS  Total number final year of trainees  Number of final year trainees gaining QTS 
			 1999/98 Mainstream 1,250 1,070 400 340 
			  EBR 
			 1999/2000 Mainstream 1,320 1,110 370 300 
			  EBR 
			 2000/01 Mainstream 1,230 1,060 500 420 
			  EBR 
			 2001/02 Mainstream 1,310 1,120 570 490 
			  EBR 
			 2002/03 Mainstream 710 630 1,180 1,030 
			  EBR 180 160 220 200 
			 2003/04 Mainstream 790 680 1,520 1,280 
			  EBR 200 170 250 220 
			 2004/05 Mainstream 750 620 1,450 1,200 
			  EBR 30 30 560 520 
			 2005/06 Mainstream 750 660 1,720 1,430 
			  EBR 110 100 510 440 
			  Notes: 1. Mainstream includes Universities and other Higher Education institutions, SCITT and OU, but excludes employment based routes. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. * represents values which round to under 10 3. Data relating to postgraduates first degree was not collected prior to 2002/03 for trainees entering ITT through EBR 4. The method of classifying degree subjects changed as a result of the introduction of the JACS coding structure in 2002/03. Data collected prior to this date under the HESA coding system cannot be directly compared using the direct match alone. Therefore figures which a direct match and a related match to science have been presented. 5. Performance profiles data is collected at the end of a trainees first year, therefore 2006/07 data is collected in autumn 2007 and will be published in July 2008. 6. The table above only covers those who hold a first degree in the subject of their ITT training course, it does not cover those who have a first degree in science but are entering an ITT course which is not science. 7. There are additional postgraduate trainees on science ITT courses where the first degree is unknown, so there are potentially more science graduates gaining QTS in science ITT. 8. Trainees who have not gained QTS include final year trainees who are yet to complete their course, those with withheld QTS (including those where their skills test was not met, their standards were not met and where both their standards and skills test were not met) and those where the skill test has not been taken (include those whose standards were met and those whose standards were not met).  Source:  TDA's Performance Profiles

National Council for Educational Excellence

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many times the National Council for Educational Excellence has met since June 2007; what recommendations it has produced; and if he will publish its  (a) agendas and  (b) conclusions.

Jim Knight: The council met on 18 July, 13 September and 20 November 2007.
	Copies of the agenda, summary note and full minutes for each meeting have been placed in the Library, as well as a report of council members' views and advice about setting 10 year goals for world class education performance. These papers provide an overview of the council's work to date.

Children's Plan: Primary Education

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to extend the academies programme to primary and junior schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: There are currently no plans for the Academies programme to extend to schools solely catering for pupils of primary or junior school age. However, the programme does extend to all-age academies and there are currently eight all-through academies (providing education for all ages from three to 19), with a further six in the pipeline.
	Sponsors may also enter an academy proposal in any of the competitions now required under the Education and Inspections Act 2006 for most new and replacement primary and secondary schools.

Primary Education: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were in maintained primary schools in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The available information is largely published in SFR 30/2007 Schools and Pupils in England: January 2007 (Final), which can be found via the following link: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000744/index.shtml. The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of pupils in LA maintained primary( 1)  schools: Position in January each year: 1997 to 2007: England 
			   Number of pupils (headcount)( 2) 
			 1997 4,429,040 
			 1998 4,460,650 
			 1999 4,460,170 
			 2000 4,435,350 
			 2001 4,406,220 
			 2002 4,363,340 
			 2003 4,309,030 
			 2004 4,252,540 
			 2005 4,204,500 
			 2006 4,148,950 
			 2007 4,107,680 
			 (1) Includes middle schools that are deemed primary schools. (2) Excludes dually registered pupils.  Source:  School Census

Primary Education: Teachers

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the proportion of applicants accepted on to a primary teacher training course was in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Applications for primary initial teacher training (ITT) can be for either an undergraduate or postgraduate course. The number of trainees accepted to undergraduate ITT courses is not held centrally so it is not possible to calculate the overall proportion of applications which are accepted.
	The following table shows the number of postgraduate applicants and acceptances to primary ITT courses in England along with the proportion of these applications which were accepted in each year between 2001/02 and 2007/08.
	
		
			  Year of application  Number of applications to primary postgraduate ITT courses  Number of acceptances to primary postgraduate ITT courses  Proportion of postgraduate application to primary ITT courses which are accepted (Percentage) 
			 2001/02 14,200 6,610 47 
			 2002/03 16,690 7,770 47 
			 2003/04 19,450 8,850 45 
			 2004/05 20,180 9,320 46 
			 2005/06 19,960 9,110 46 
			 2006/07 20,000 8,540 43 
			 2007/08 19,070 8,330 44 
			  Notes: 1. Data prior to 2001/02 is not available on a consistent basis for England only. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Some applications for postgraduate ITT courses are made independently of the Graduate Teacher Training Registry and are not included in the figures. 4. The aforementioned figures include trainees to primary courses and do not include trainees to middle year's courses. 5. Data are as at the end of the application process so are subject to change. 6. Membership to the GTTR changes between years, therefore the higher education institutes covered may vary.  Source: Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR). 
		
	
	The figures are published on the GTTR website at:
	http://www.gttr.ac.uk/stats.html

Primary Education: Teachers

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many qualified primary school teachers worked in maintained primary schools in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The available information is given in table 2 of SFR29/2007 School Workforce in England (including pupil: teacher ratios and pupil: adult ratios), January 2007 (Revised) which can be found at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000743/index.shtml
	The following table shows the available figures, in thousands, for full-time equivalent regular qualified teachers in maintained nursery and primary schools as at January each year.
	
		
			   Qualified regular teachers 
			 1997 190.7 
			 1998 189.0 
			 1999 189.9 
			 2000 191.6 
			 2001 192.6 
			 2002 193.1 
			 2003 191.9 
			 2004 190.4 
			 2005 189.9 
			 2006 192.0 
			 2007 191.6 
			  Source: The DCSF Annual Survey of Teachers in Service and Teacher Vacancies (618g).

Children's Plan: Public Participation

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress his Department has made in its consultation on the proposed children's plan; and when he expects the consultation process to be completed.

Edward Balls: The consultation on the Children's Plan was conducted during September, October and early November 2007. We obtained views from children, young people, parents and those working with children and young people. 3,181 responses were received. The responses, alongside the views of 400 parents, young people, teachers and people working with children who attended deliberative debates are captured in a report of the key themes emerging from the consultation. The findings of three expert groups, remitted to look at services affecting children and young people, are also big considered.
	The consultation process is now complete.

Pupil Referral Units

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were sent to a pupil referral unit within six months of reaching the end of key stage 4 in the past year.

Jim Knight: The information is not collected centrally.

Pupils: Accidents

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the number of road accidents involving school children of introducing British summer time in winter and double British summer time in summer.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	A Government commissioned report by the Transport Research Laboratory published in October 1998, investigated the effects of the UK adopting single/double summertime (i.e. GMT + one hour in the winter, from October to March, and GMT + two hours in the summer, from March to October) thereby making the evenings lighter throughout the year. It concluded that, there could be a net saving of over 400 people killed or seriously injured per year in Great Britain, including over 100 deaths.
	The 1998 research did not identify casualty savings by age.

Pupils: Attendance

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils attended secondary schools in which there were  (a) over 1,000,  (b) over 1,500 and  (c) over 2,000 pupils in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: To provide a full-time series since 1997 would involve disproportionate cost. Therefore the available information for a selection of years between 1997 and 2007 are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies( 1) : number of schools and pupils by size of school( 2) , England 
			   Schools with up to and including 1,000 pupils 
			  Position in January each year  Number of schools  Number of pupils  Percentage of pupils( 3) 
			 1997 2,429 1,612,510 52.8 
			 1999 2,322 1,557,650 49.6 
			 2000 2,226 1,497,750 46.8 
			 2002 1,997 1,384,420 42.2 
			 2005 1,839 1,296,690 38.7 
			 2006 1,830 1,292,490 38.6 
			 2007 1,841 1,290,040 38.8 
		
	
	
		
			   Schools with 1,001 to 1,500 pupils 
			  Position in January each year  Number of schools  Number of pupils  Percentage of pupils( 3) 
			 1997 1,019 1,216,690 39.8 
			 1999 1,080 1,292,450 41.2 
			 2000 1,146 1,377,020 43.1 
			 2002 1.236 1,492,860 45.5 
			 2005 1,296 1,572,330 47.0 
			 2006 1,295 1,573,270 47.0 
			 2007 1,270 1,539,480 46.3 
		
	
	
		
			   Schools with 1,501 to 2,000 pupils 
			  Position in January each year  Number of schools  Number of pupils  Percentage of pupils( 3) 
			 1997 130 215,010 7.0 
			 1999 167 275,210 8.8 
			 2000 186 308.740 9.7 
			 2002 225 374,980 11.4 
			 2005 261 435,420 13.0 
			 2006 259 433,640 13.0 
			 2007 266 444,480 13.4 
		
	
	
		
			   Schools with more than 2,000 pupils 
			  Position in January each year  Number of schools  Number of pupils  Percentage of pupils( 3) 
			 1997 6 12,650 0.4 
			 1999 6 12,790 0.4 
			 2000 7 14,900 0.5 
			 2002 13 27,990 0.9 
			 2005 20 43,240 1.3 
			 2006 21 45,090 1.3 
			 2007 22 47,540 1.4 
		
	
	
		
			   All schools 
			  Position in January each year  Number of schools  Number of pupils  Percentage of pupils( 3) 
			 1997 3,584 3,056,870 100.0 
			 1999 3,575 3,138,090 100.0 
			 2000 3,565 3,198,410 100.0 
			 2002 3,471 3,280,250 100.0 
			 2005 3,416 3,347,680 100.0 
			 2006 3,405 3,344,490 100.0 
			 2007 3,399 3,321,530 100.0 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Based on a headcount of pupils. Excludes dually registered pupils. (3) The number of pupils by size band of schools expressed as a percentage of the total number of pupils in maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies.  Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average spending per secondary school pupil was in  (a) the city of Leicester,  (b) Leicestershire and  (c) England in the last period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The information requested is contained within the following table:
	
		
			  School based expenditure( 1,2 ) per pupil( 3)  by local authority maintained secondary schools in Leicester, Leicestershire and England during 2006-07( 4) 
			  Local authority name  Secondary school based expenditure per pupil( 1,2,3,4,5 ) () 
			 England 4,320 
			   
			 Leicestershire 3,890 
			 Leicester 4,600 
			 (1) School-based expenditure includes only expenditure incurred directly by the schools. This includes the pay of teachers and school-based support staff, school premises costs, books and equipment, and certain other supplies and services, less any capital items funded from recurrent spending and income from sales, fees and charges and rents and rates. This excludes the central cost of support services such as home to school transport, local authority administration and the financing of capital expenditure.  (2) Secondary school based expenditure includes any expenditure on 6th form pupils attending maintained secondary schools.  (3) Pupil numbers include only those pupils attending maintained secondary schools and are drawn from the DCSF Annual Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis.  (4) 2006-07 data is subject to change by the local authority.  (5) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  (6) Cash term figures as reported by local authorities as at 29 November 2007.

Reading: Teaching Methods

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department has taken to promote synthetic phonics for the teaching of reading in primary schools.

Jim Knight: The importance of phonics in the teaching of reading has always played a key part in our guidance to primary schools. Following the publication of Sir Jim Rose's Independent review of the teaching of early reading, we accepted all of the review's recommendations, and we have paid particular attention to the recommendation that phonics should be taught as the prime approach to learning to read. We have renewed the Primary National Strategy's framework for teaching literacy to reflect this. The renewed framework now says that systematic phonics is the best route to teach children to read. With help from Jim Rose, we have developed a high quality systematic phonics teaching programme, Letters and Sounds, to support teachers in implementing these changes. To help schools that wish to choose a commercial scheme instead, we have published guidance on a set of criteria which define the key features of an effective phonics teaching programme and which build directly on the review's recommendations for high quality phonic work. Publishers of such schemes are able to provide a self-evaluation against these criteria on our phonics website.
	We have taken steps to ensure that local authorities have the capacity and expertise to support schools in developing effective phonics teaching. The Primary National Strategy's Communication, Language and Literacy Development programme has provided training in early reading for every local authority and funded additional consultants to lead this work in 50 targeted local authorities. This programme will build greater quality and capacity in the teaching of early literacy through developing work on speaking and listening and strengthening leadership and management of early literacy in schools.
	We are also working with local authorities and the Training and Development Agency to ensure that newly qualified practitioners are equipped with the necessary skills to implement the recommendations from Sir Jim Rose's review.

School Leaving

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what sanctions may be applied to young people aged 16 to 18 years who fail to pay fines imposed as a consequence of not being in education or training at age 16 to 18 years under the Education and Skills Bill if enacted; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The young person can avoid the enforcement process, as it is designed as a deterrent. They can do this by complying with their duty to participate; having a reasonable justification as to why they were not participating; or by showing that they are taking the right steps towards participation. In these cases the young person would not get a fixed penalty notice. If the young person does not pay the fixed penalty notice the local authority will have the power to prosecute them in the Youth court. If a fine is unpaid, it is enforceable using the Youth court's usual powers, such as taking the money from wages or imposing an unpaid work requirement.

Schools: Biometrics

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department has issued on the  (a) use of and  (b) merits of consultation with parents in relation to the sharing and disposal of data on change of school in relation to biometric identification systems in schools.

Jim Knight: Guidance on the implementation and use of biometric data in schools is available on Becta's website at:
	http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=lvcatcode=ss_Iv_saf_dp_03rid=14160
	The guidance, published in July 2007 by Becta and developed in consultation with the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Information Commissioner's Office, advises schools to fully involve parents in any decision to introduce biometric or fingerprint technology to run cashless lunch queues, school libraries and attendance systems.
	The guidance underlines that head teachers and governing bodies should be clear and open with all parents and pupils about this and all aspects of their education. The guidance also signposts further advice and support for schools to assist them in meeting their obligations under the Data Protection Act, including ensuring that personal data is kept safe and secure and is not held for longer than necessary. As soon as any pupil leaves a school, their biometric identification data collected for administrative technology systems should be destroyed.
	In addition, the Information Commissioner's Office have published their view on the use of biometric technologies in schools. This is available at:
	http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_protection/detailed_specialist_guides/fingerprinting_final_view.pdf

Schools: Catering

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what target he has set for the number of schools which should have kitchens with cooking facilities; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department has not set a target for the number of schools which should have kitchens with cooking facilities. Schools can deliver hot food in a number of different ways, some of which do not require kitchen facilities.
	The Government are making a significant capital investment to improve school buildings. This includes a specific fund of 150 million for local authorities from 2008 to support the provision of new kitchens in local authorities with the greatest need.

Schools: Closures

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) secondary and  (b) primary schools closed in each local authority area in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: Tables showing the number of secondary and primary schools closed in each year since 1997, by local authority, have been placed in the Library.
	Schools can be closed for a number of reasons including: to meet demographic changes (population decline); as part of an amalgamation; to allow a Fresh Start school to replace a school in special measures; to allow a school with a religious character to replace a school without a religious character; or as part of another type of local reorganisation.
	The figures also show closures as part of the Local Government Reorganisation programme.
	It was not mandatory to supply school closure dates prior to January 2002 and therefore the figures for the years 1997 to 2002 may not be complete.

Schools: Construction

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of school buildings approved by his Department were built to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method  (a) very good and  (b) excellent standard in each of the last five years; and what the construction cost of those buildings was.

Jim Knight: The Department does not approve school projects. DCSF did however issue guidance on 'BREEAM Schools' ratings in the spring of 2005 including the expectation that all new and refurbished schools above a threshold size and value should be built to achieve a 'BREEAM Schools' rating of very good or excellent. We consider this to be a challenging but achievable target in the majority of schools. We do not know if the school buildings certified to BREEAM Schools at the design and procurement stage have actually been built to the BREEAM standards 'Very Good' or 'Excellent' as they have not undergone a post construction review. We do however know the numbers of ratings that have been achieved at the design and procurement stage.
	'BREEAM Schools' was introduced by the Building Research Establishment in October 2004. No schools were registered for assessment before 1 April 2005. In the financial year 1 April 2005 to 30 March 2006, 126 schools were registered with BRE for a BREEAM assessment. From 1 April 2006 until 30 November 2006 a further 221 schools were registered for an assessment and by the end of this period four schools had been assessed. From 1 December 2006 until 6 December 2007 a further 254 schools were registered for an assessment and a further 18 schools were assessed. This brings the total number of schools that have been registered to 601 and the number assessed to 22. The ratings achieved so far are broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Type of school  Number of pass ratings  Number of good ratings  Number of very good ratings 
			 Primary 1 6 5 
			 Secondary 1 1 1 
			 Academy 1 4 2 
		
	
	Some of the early schools may have been at an advanced stage of design when DCSF issued guidance in 2005 on the ratings expected and may also have suffered from a lack of experience of sustainable design. As designers get more experience of designing sustainable schools we expect to see a higher proportion of schools achieving the expected standard. There will always however be schools where site constraints mean that some of the BREEAM credits are unavailable making it very difficult and probably uneconomic to achieve a very high rating in these cases. It should be remembered that BREEAM credits are only given where designs exceed regulatory minimum standards as laid out in the building regulations and the like.
	We will be monitoring the results as they come in for the 579 schools that have been registered for an assessment but for which the assessments have yet to be completed. We do not know the names or the construction costs of the schools.

Schools: Crimes of Violence

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many assaults on school staff by pupils were recorded in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: Information on the number of assaults on school staff is not collected centrally.
	For information on the number of assaults on adults which resulted in exclusion from school, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 14 November 2007,  Official Report, column 276W.

Schools: Crimes of Violence

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many incidences of violence have been reported in  (a) secondary and  (b) primary schools in the past three years.

Jim Knight: Information on the number of reported incidents of violence is not collected centrally.

Schools: English Language

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) secondary schools and  (b) primary schools there were where more than (i) 30 per cent., (ii) 50 per cent. and (iii) 70 per cent. of pupils spoke English as a second language in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by local authority.

Jim Knight: The requested information is as follows, and has been placed in the Library.
	
		
			  Maintained Primary and Secondary Schools: Number of Schools by Percentage of School Population whose First Language is Known or Believed to be other than English( 1, 2, 3) , by Local Authority Area, as at January 2007 
			  Number of Schools by Percentage of School Population whose First Language is Known or B elieved to be other than English 
			   Primary  Secondary 
			Up to and including 30 per cent.  31 per cent. to 50 per cent.  51 per cent. to 70 per cent.  More than 70 per cent.  Total  Up to and including 30 per cent.  31 per cent. to 50 per cent.  51 per cent. to 70 per cent.  More than 70 per cent.  Total 
			  England 15,465 753 574 569 17,361 2,991 157 112 83 3,343 
			 
			 201 City of London 0 0 1 0 1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 202 Camden 4 14 13 10 41 1 5 2 1 9 
			 203 Greenwich 31 20 12 1 64 7 5 0 1 13 
			 204 Hackney 6 14 30 3 53 2 2 3 2 9 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 8 14 12 1 35 2 2 4 0 8 
			 206 Islington 12 19 11 3 45 0 7 1 1 9 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 2 8 13 3 26 1 1 2 0 4 
			 208 Lambeth 14 19 22 5 60 3 4 3 0 10 
			 209 Lewisham 39 20 6 4 69 6 4 2 0 12 
			 210 Southwark 19 32 14 6 71 1 5 4 0 10 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 6 10 8 45 69 1 3 4 7 15 
			 212 Wandsworth 19 22 13 2 56 3 7 0 0 10 
			 213 Westminster 1 8 11 20 40 0 4 2 1 7 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 33 9 4 3 49 7 2 0 0 9 
			 302 Barnet 32 30 18 7 87 7 5 7 0 19 
			 303 Bexley 54 5 0 0 59 16 0 0 0 16 
			 304 Brent 8 11 22 18 59 2 2 6 3 13 
			 305 Bromley 75 2 0 0 77 18 0 0 0 18 
			 306 Croydon 60 24 7 0 91 15 5 1 0 21 
			 307 Ealing 13 11 23 17 64 4 1 4 3 12 
			 308 Enfield 26 18 20 2 66 9 4 4 0 17 
			 309 Haringey 15 10 25 13 63 4 0 5 1 10 
			 310 Harrow 9 15 21 9 54 2 3 5 0 10 
			 311 Havering 65 0 0 0 65 18 0 0 0 18 
			 312 Hillingdon 47 7 5 6 65 10 4 0 2 16 
			 313 Hounslow 14 21 7 18 60 3 5 4 2 14 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 24 7 5 0 36 8 2 0 0 10 
			 315 Merton 21 18 4 0 43 3 3 0 0 6 
			 316 Newham 0 7 28 31 66 1 2 4 8 15 
			 317 Redbridge 14 14 7 15 50 3 7 4 3 17 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 36 5 0 0 41 8 0 0 0 8 
			 319 Sutton 40 1 0 0 41 13 1 0 0 14 
			 320 Waltham Forest 18 14 21 4 57 5 4 7 0 16 
			 330 Birmingham 193 29 19 58 299 43 10 9 14 76 
			 331 Coventry 65 11 5 4 85 16 2 0 1 19 
			 332 Dudley 72 3 2 1 78 22 0 0 0 22 
			 333 Sandwell 66 15 7 8 96 14 2 1 0 17 
			 334 Solihull 67 0 0 0 67 12 0 0 0 12 
			 335 Walsall 66 6 6 8 86 14 1 3 0 18 
			 336 Wolverhampton 64 6 8 2 80 16 1 1 0 18 
			 340 Knowsley 55 0 0 0 55 10 0 0 0 10 
			 341 Liverpool 127 5 2 1 135 29 0 0 0 29 
			 342 St. Helens 54 0 0 0 54 10 0 0 0 10 
			 343 Sefton 78 0 0 0 78 22 0 0 0 22 
			 344 Wirral 98 0 0 0 98 22 0 0 0 22 
			 350 Bolton 75 9 8 6 98 14 1 1 0 16 
			 351 Bury 57 2 2 2 63 14 0 0 0 14 
			 352 Manchester 93 15 13 12 133 17 1 2 2 22 
			 353 Oldham 70 4 2 18 94 10 2 1 2 15 
			 354 Rochdale 55 4 3 9 71 9 2 3 0 14 
			 355 Salford 79 2 2 0 83 14 0 0 0 14 
			 356 Stockport 90 1 1 0 92 14 0 0 0 14 
			 357 Tameside 70 2 1 2 75 18 0 0 0 18 
			 358 Trafford 68 1 2 1 72 16 2 0 0 18 
			 359 Wigan 104 1 0 0 105 21 0 0 0 21 
			 370 Barnsley 81 1 0 0 82 13 0 0 0 13 
			 371 Doncaster 102 0 1 0 103 16 0 0 0 16 
			 372 Rotherham 98 0 4 1 103 16 0 0 0 16 
			 373 Sheffield 118 2 2 14 136 23 0 1 1 25 
			 380 Bradford 98 14 9 37 158 18 0 0 10 28 
			 381 Calderdale 78 1 2 4 85 13 1 0 1 15 
			 382 Kirklees 122 4 5 20 151 26 1 2 3 32 
			 383 Leeds 196 13 6 7 222 35 1 2 0 38 
			 384 Wakefield 120 1 3 0 124 18 0 0 0 18 
			 390 Gateshead 72 1 0 0 73 10 0 0 0 10 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 66 2 2 2 72 13 1 0 0 14 
			 392 North Tyneside 56 0 0 0 56 15 0 0 0 15 
			 393 South Tyneside 49 2 0 0 51 9 0 0 1 10 
			 394 Sunderland 81 2 0 0 83 18 0 0 0 18 
			 420 Isles of Scilly 1 0 0 0 1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 63 0 0 0 63 13 0 0 0 13 
			 801 Bristol, City of 99 5 6 1 111 17 1 0 0 18 
			 802 North Somerset 66 0 0 0 66 10 0 0 0 10 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 96 0 0 0 96 15 0 0 0 15 
			 805 Hartlepool 30 0 0 0 30 6 0 0 0 6 
			 806 Middlesbrough 39 1 1 1 42 6 0 0 0 6 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 45 0 0 0 45 11 0 0 0 11 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 60 0 2 0 62 14 0 0 0 14 
			 810 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 69 2 0 0 71 15 0 0 0 15 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 132 0 0 0 132 18 0 0 0 18 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 59 0 0 0 59 12 0 0 0 12 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 63 2 1 0 66 14 0 0 0 14 
			 815 North Yorkshire 325 0 0 1 326 47 0 0 0 47 
			 816 York 54 0 0 0 54 11 0 0 0 11 
			 820 Bedfordshire 139 3 2 2 146 53 2 0 1 56 
			 821 Luton 33 7 2 12 54 8 1 0 3 12 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 169 9 4 2 184 33 0 0 1 34 
			 826 Milton Keynes 77 13 0 0 90 12 0 0 0 12 
			 830 Derbyshire 358 0 0 0 358 46 0 0 1 47 
			 831 Derby 67 2 2 7 78 11 1 1 0 13 
			 835 Dorset 136 0 0 0 136 34 0 0 0 34 
			 836 Poole 28 0 0 0 28 9 0 0 0 9 
			 837 Bournemouth 26 1 0 0 27 10 0 0 0 10 
			 840 Durham 236 0 0 0 236 36 0 0 0 36 
			 841 Darlington 30 0 0 0 30 7 0 0 0 7 
			 845 East Sussex 155 1 0 0 156 27 0 0 0 27 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 55 1 0 0 56 9 0 0 0 9 
			 850 Hampshire 430 0 0 0 430 71 0 0 0 71 
			 851 Portsmouth 52 1 0 0 53 10 0 0 0 10 
			 852 Southampton 52 5 2 2 61 14 0 0 0 14 
			 855 Leicestershire 218 3 3 1 225 51 3 0 0 54 
			 856 Leicester 44 13 2 25 84 8 4 1 3 16 
			 857 Rutland 17 0 0 0 17 3 0 0 0 3 
			 860 Staffordshire 295 4 1 1 301 68 0 0 0 68 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 63 1 5 2 71 17 0 0 0 17 
			 865 Wiltshire 208 0 0 0 208 29 0 0 0 29 
			 866 Swindon 65 1 1 0 67 10 0 0 0 10 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 30 0 0 0 30 6 0 0 0 6 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 41 2 1 1 45 13 0 0 0 13 
			 869 West Berkshire 66 0 0 0 66 10 0 0 0 10 
			 870 Reading 27 8 1 1 37 4 2 0 0 6 
			 871 Slough 10 6 3 8 27 2 6 2 1 11 
			 872 Wokingham 51 0 0 0 51 9 0 0 0 9 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 198 3 0 0 201 30 0 0 0 30 
			 874 Peterborough 46 7 2 3 58 11 2 1 0 14 
			 875 Cheshire 275 0 0 0 275 43 0 0 0 43 
			 876 Hafton 52 0 0 0 52 8 0 0 0 8 
			 877 Warrington 71 0 0 0 71 12 0 0 0 12 
			 878 Devon 318 0 0 0 318 37 0 0 0 37 
			 879 Plymouth 76 0 0 0 76 17 0 0 0 17 
			 880 Torbay 32 0 0 0 32 8 0 0 0 8 
			 881 Essex 472 1 0 0 473 80 0 0 0 80 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 35 2 0 0 37 12 0 0 0 12 
			 883 Thurrock 42 1 0 0 43 9 0 0 0 9 
			 884 Herefordshire 82 0 0 0 82 14 0 0 0 14 
			 885 Worcestershire 185 2 2 0 189 57 0 0 0 57 
			 886 Kent 461 3 2 0 466 102 0 0 1 103 
			 887 Medway 85 0 0 0 85 18 1 0 0 19 
			 888 Lancashire 454 9 9 14 486 80 3 2 0 85 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 37 2 2 15 56 7 0 1 2 10 
			 890 Blackpool 29 0 0 0 29 8 0 0 0 8 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 292 0 0 0 292 47 0 0 0 47 
			 892 Nottingham 71 11 7 3 92 16 1 0 0 17 
			 893 Shropshire 142 0 0 0 142 22 0 0 0 22 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 56 1 0 0 57 13 0 0 0 13 
			 908 Cornwall 237 1 0 0 238 31 0 0 0 31 
			 909 Cumbria 279 0 0 0 279 42 0 0 0 42 
			 916 Gloucestershire 249 0 1 0 250 42 0 0 0 42 
			 919 Hertfordshire 394 8 4 1 407 81 1 0 0 82 
			 921 Isle of Wight 46 0 0 0 46 21 0 0 0 21 
			 925 Lincolnshire 285 0 0 0 285 63 0 0 0 63 
			 926 Norfolk 384 0 0 0 384 52 0 0 0 52 
			 928 Northamptonshire 259 4 2 0 265 39 0 0 0 39 
			 929 Northumberland 137 1 0 0 138 58 0 0 0 58 
			 931 Oxfordshire 224 6 3 0 233 33 1 0 0 34 
			 933 Somerset 222 1 0 0 223 39 0 0 0 39 
			 935 Suffolk 255 1 0 0 256 78 0 0 0 78 
			 936 Surrey 307 5 0 2 314 52 1 0 0 53 
			 937 Warwickshire 193 2 1 0 196 37 0 0 0 37 
			 938 West Sussex 236 3 0 1 240 40 0 0 0 40 
			 n/a = Not applicable, no schools of this type. (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. Excludes city technology colleges and academies. (2 )Pupils of compulsory school age and above are classified according to their first language. This analysis is based on percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. (3) Excludes dually registered pupils.  Source: School Census.

Schools: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what the reasons were for the amount allocated to Herefordshire for the school funding settlement for 2008-09 to 2010-11; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he decided the school funding settlement for 2008-09 to 2010-11; what consideration he gave to rural factors; what rural factors he takes into account; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Herefordshire local authority will receive a basic increase per pupil in their allocation of dedicated schools grant (DSG) of 3.1 per cent. for 2008-09, and 2.9 per cent. for 2009-10 and 2010-11, together with funding for the following ministerial priorities: personalised learning and SEN; and bringing the authority up to the level of the funding formula in 2005-06. This results in increases of 4.7 per cent. 3.9 per cent. and 4.5 per cent. per pupil, and an above average increase of 13.6 per cent. for the three year period as a whole. Further details of the calculation of Herefordshire's DSG allocations can be found at:
	http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=12222
	The starting point for the calculation of Herefordshire's 2008-09 DSG allocation is its DSG guaranteed unit of funding per pupil, which in turn depends on the amount the authority budgeted to spend in 2005-06. This was closely related to the schools formula spending share (FSS) calculation, which took account of the needs of rural authorities through an addition for pupils in primary schools: this recognised the additional costs faced by rural authorities in keeping open more small primary schools than other authorities.

Schools: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much deprivation-related school funding was  (a) allocated by his Department and  (b) passed on by local authorities in each local authority area in the latest year for which information is available.

Jim Knight: The following table sets out the amount of deprivation funding in each local authority's indicative allocation of Dedicated Schools Grant in percentage terms for 2007-08. We have asked all local authorities to set out how much of this funding they currently pass on to schools through factors for social deprivation in their funding formulae for schools, and we are currently quality assuring their responses: we expect to publish this information in the new year.
	
		
			  Local authority  Percentage of DSG funding for deprivation in 2007-08 
			 Barking and Dagenham 13.6 
			 Barnet 8.3 
			 Barnsley 12.8 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 7.1 
			 Bedfordshire 7.1 
			 Bexley 8.8 
			 Birmingham 14.4 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 13.0 
			 Blackpool 13.7 
			 Bolton 11.8 
			 Bournemouth 10.3 
			 Bracknell Forest 6.0 
			 Bradford 13.0 
			 Brent 12.4 
			 Brighton and Hove 11.1 
			 Bristol, City of 12.1 
			 Bromley 7.5 
			 Buckinghamshire 5.5 
			 Bury 9.6 
			 Calderdale 11.2 
			 Cambridgeshire 6.2 
			 Camden 13.4 
			 Cheshire 7.6 
			 City of London 6.7 
			 Cornwall 10.3 
			 Coventry 11.5 
			 Croydon 10.5 
			 Cumbria 9.0 
			 Darlington 11.6 
			 Derby 12.2 
			 Derbyshire 8.8 
			 Devon 8.5 
			 Doncaster 12.4 
			 Dorset 7.0 
			 Dudley 10.4 
			 Durham 11.7 
			 Ealing 11.3 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 7.7 
			 East Sussex 8.7 
			 Enfield 11.7 
			 Essex 7.9 
			 Gateshead 12.9 
			 Gloucestershire 7.3 
			 Greenwich 14.2 
			 Hackney 16.0 
			 Halton 14.3 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 13.1 
			 Hampshire 6.5 
			 Haringey 15.7 
			 Harrow 8.1 
			 Hartlepool 14.1 
			 Havering 8.2 
			 Herefordshire 7.7 
			 Hertfordshire 6.5 
			 Hillingdon 9.4 
			 Hounslow 11.3 
			 Isle of Wight 10.9 
			 Islington 17.1 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 8.2 
			 Kent 8.7 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 15.7 
			 Kingston upon Thames 6.2 
			 Kirklees 10.9 
			 Knowsley 17.2 
			 Lambeth 14.6 
			 Lancashire 10.0 
			 Leeds 10.7 
			 Leicester 14.0 
			 Leicestershire 6.3 
			 Lewisham 13.5 
			 Lincolnshire 8.7 
			 Liverpool 17.5 
			 Luton 11.7 
			 Manchester 17.5 
			 Medway 9.7 
			 Merton 8.6 
			 Middlesbrough 15.4 
			 Milton Keynes 8.9 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 14.3 
			 Newham 16.1 
			 Norfolk 9.1 
			 North East Lincolnshire 12.6 
			 North Lincolnshire 10.2 
			 North Somerset 7.2 
			 North Tyneside 11.7 
			 North Yorkshire 6.7 
			 Northamptonshire 8.1 
			 Northumberland 9.6 
			 Nottingham 16.7 
			 Nottinghamshire 9.3 
			 Oldham 12.7 
			 Oxfordshire 6.2 
			 Peterborough 12.2 
			 Plymouth 12.1 
			 Poole 8.6 
			 Portsmouth 11.2 
			 Reading 9.8 
			 Redbridge 9.1 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 13.1 
			 Richmond upon Thames 5.2 
			 Rochdale 13.0 
			 Rotherham 12.1 
			 Rutland 6.2 
			 Salford 14.2 
			 Sandwell 14.2 
			 Sefton 11.3 
			 Sheffield 12.0 
			 Shropshire 7.0 
			 Slough 10.2 
			 Solihull 7.8 
			 Somerset 7.7 
			 South Gloucestershire 6.6 
			 South Tyneside 14.2 
			 Southampton 12.3 
			 Southend-on-Sea 11.2 
			 Southwark 15.0 
			 St. Helens 12.1 
			 Staffordshire 8.0 
			 Stockport 8.5 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 11.6 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 14.0 
			 Suffolk 7.9 
			 Sunderland 13.4 
			 Surrey 5.6 
			 Sutton 7.5 
			 Swindon 8.3 
			 Tameside 11.8 
			 Telford and Wrekin 11.5 
			 Thurrock 9.9 
			 Torbay 11.8 
			 Tower Hamlets 19.0 
			 Trafford 9.1 
			 Wakefield 11.2 
			 Walsall 12.6 
			 Waltham Forest 13.3 
			 Wandsworth 11.4 
			 Warrington 8.4 
			 Warwickshire 7.1 
			 West Berkshire 6.3 
			 West Sussex 6.9 
			 Westminster 11.8 
			 Wigan 10.4 
			 Wiltshire 6.7 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 4.8 
			 Wirral 13.1 
			 Wokingham 4.8 
			 Wolverhampton 137 
			 Worcestershire 7.7 
			 York 8.4

Schools: Standards

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools have been placed in special measures more than once since 1997.

Jim Knight: Between 1 September 1997 and 3 December 2007, 51 schools have been placed in special measures more than once following an inspection by Ofsted. This number represents 2.9 per cent. of the total number of schools placed in the special measures category during this period. 11 of the 51 schools have now closed.

Secondary Education: Standards

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils at Key Stage 4 gained  (a) no qualifications and  (b) no GCSEs in 2007.

Jim Knight: The available information is published in table 1 and table 8 of the Statistical First Release GCSE and equivalent results in England 2006/07 (provisional) which is available at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000754/index.shtml.
	The percentage of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 who gained no qualifications was 0.9 per cent.
	The percentage of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 who did not gain at least a grade G in any GCSE subject was 3 per cent.

Secondary Education: Standards

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of the total number of pupils at Key Stage 4 who gained no qualifications in the latest period for which figures are available were eligible for free school meals.

Jim Knight: The available information is published in table 8 of the Statistical First Release National Curriculum Assessment, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2006/07 which is available at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000759/index.shtml.
	The percentage of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 who were eligible for free school meals who achieved no qualifications (i.e. did not achieve the equivalent of a grade G at GCSE in any subject in 2006/07) was 5.4 per cent., with 94.6 per cent. achieving the equivalent of at least one pass. The corresponding percentage of pupils who were not eligible for free school meals was 1.9 per cent., with 98.1 per cent. achieving the equivalent of at least one pass.

Secondary Education: Standards

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many maintained mainstream schools there were in which pupils at Key Stage 4 achieved no qualifications in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: 2007 data are not yet published. The data will be published in January and then placed in the House of Commons Library where the data for previous years can already be found.

Special Educational Needs

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his latest estimate is of the average time to statement a child in each local authority area.

Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has not made any estimate of average time taken to conduct a statutory assessment and prepare a statement for a child with special educational needs (SEN).
	The Audit Commission collect and publish information on the performance of local authorities against Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs). BVPI 43 (a) and (b) measure the percentage of draft SEN statements prepared within the statutory 18 weeks and issued by the authority in a financial year. Guidance on these indicators and published data is available from the Audit Commission's website.
	From April 2008, we plan to replace BVPI 43 with a national indicator as part of the national indicator set, on which the Department for Communities and Local Government are currently consulting. The indicator will look at the percentage of statements finalised within 26 weeks.

Specialist Schools and Academies Trust National Conference

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what reasons his speech to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust National Conference was deferred from 28 November to 29 November; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: I moved my speech at the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust National Conference from 28 November to 29 November due to urgent parliamentary business.

Studio Schools

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research he has commissioned into studio schools.

Jim Knight: The former Department for Education and Skills' (DFES) Innovation Unit provided funding to the Young Foundation to develop its Studio Schools concept as follows:
	 DFES Innovation Unit
	2006-0712,000 (Studio Schools concept)
	 The IU Ltd.
	2006-0725,000 (Phase II of the Studio Schools concept)
	2007-0825,000 (Phase III of the Studio Schools project)
	2007-0860,000 pending as field trial grant
	In September 2007 a national trial of the Studio Schools concept commenced at Barnfield College, Luton (linked with Barnfield West Academy) where 28 students will be following a Studio Schools-designed curriculum. This pilot is run by the Innovation Unit and the Young Foundation. It will run for a year and involve 90 students. Another short pilot is planned for Newham over summer next year (2008) to give 60 students a six week studio school experience.
	The lessons from these pilots will be used by the Young Foundation and the Innovation Unit to inform the development of other studio schools.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) is exploring how Studio Schools might link with the Academies programme. To inform this work DCSF has engaged consultants to look at the current Studio School pilot in Luton and to discuss the concept with the Young Foundation and other local authorities which have expressed an interest.

Teachers: Labour Turnover

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many head teachers left the profession in each year between 1997 and 2007.

Jim Knight: Information on the number of teachers leaving service is not available broken down by grade including head teachers.

Teaching: Standards

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government has taken to increase standards of teaching in the West Midlands.

Jim Knight: holding answer 26 November 2007
	 Standards of teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools have risen substantially since 1997. This is as a result of a number of factors, including challenge and support through the Primary and Secondary National Strategies. They provide; continuing professional development to primary and secondary schools to support them in raising standards in teaching; support better use of pupil performance data and challenge schools and local authorities to set ambitious targets for their pupils. In 2007-08 funding of 45 million was provided for the West Midlands in 2007-08 to support improvement programmes in teaching and learning with specific focus on core subjects through the National Strategies.
	Earlier this year, the Government announced that the Black Countrywhich includes Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhamptonhad been chosen as one of the regions to benefit from the new City Challenge programme. This programme will be formally launched in April 2008, and the region will receive about 28 million over the next three years to support around 190,000 pupils in those local authorities.
	The main objectives of the programme are:
	A sharp drop in underperforming schools, particularly focusing on English and Maths
	More outstanding schools
	Significant improvements in educational outcomes for disadvantaged children.

Youth Unemployment and Training Greater London

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) 16,  (b) 17,  (c) 18 and  (d) 19 year old (i) women and (ii) men were receiving education or training but were not in employment in each London borough in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: The Department's estimates of the number and proportion of young people in education, employment or training cannot be disaggregated to regional or local authority level. However, it is possible to produce estimates of the number and proportion of 16 to 19-year-olds(1) in education or training but not in employment by local authority using the Annual Population Survey (APS), formerly the Local Labour Force Survey (LLFS). The estimates for London boroughs are shown in the following table. It is not possible to break down the estimates by gender or single age because of insufficient sample sizes. Figures are only available since 2001/02.
	As with all survey estimates, the estimates from the APS and LLFS are subject to sampling error. Estimates from the APS and LLFS will not be directly comparable to the Department's national participation estimates, which are available at the following link:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000734/index.shtml
	(1) Estimates are for people of academic age 16 to 19.
	
		
			  Estimates of the number and proportion of young people aged 16 to 19 in education or training but not in employment by local authority( 1) 
			   LLFS 2001/02  LLFS 2002/03  LLFS 2003/04 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,700 18 2,400 27 1,600 23 
			 Barnet 4,900 44 5,700 46 7,800 45 
			 Bexley 3,000 28 4,300 31 3,300 27 
			 Brent 7,900 48 8,000 57 6,500 47 
			 Bromley 3,700 30 5,100 47 3,400 30 
			 Camden 3,800 45 4,500 55 3,500 47 
			 Croydon 4,600 33 4,400 26 4,800 26 
			 Ealing 6,100 52 10,000 57 7,800 62 
			 Enfield 5,300 48 3,600 33 6,000 42 
			 Greenwich 3,700 36 3,300 35 4,200 37 
			 Hackney 2,600 35 6,300 69 5,400 58 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 2,200 40 3,200 59 3,200 46 
			 Haringey 6,000 59 5,600 46 5,400 57 
			 Harrow 5,900 56 5,900 50 5,100 45 
			 Havering 2,900 33 3,300 25 3,100 21 
			 Hillingdon 2,600 22 3,900 35 4,400 43 
			 Hounslow 4,400 32 5,000 45 5,000 44 
			 Islington 2,900 40 3,800 53 6,000 57 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2,900 53 5,000 66 4,500 57 
			 Kingston upon Thames 2,400 41 2,900 35 3,000 36 
			 Lambeth 6,700 49 5,300 41 5,200 49 
			 Lewisham 4,000 43 4,000 47 3,000 31 
			 Merton 3,600 40 1,100 16 1,600 28 
			 Newham 8,200 51 6,500 43 9,000 58 
			 Redbridge 4,900 42 5,100 45 5,900 53 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3,100 46 2,000 32 4,800 64 
			 Southwark 5,100 49 5,300 46 7,100 50 
			 Sutton 1,400 18 1,400 17 1,400 22 
			 Tower Hamlets 6,200 49 7,400 57 4,800 53 
			 Waltham Forest 4,000 31 3,600 37 4,900 54 
			 Wandsworth 2,600 31 5,000 57 3,200 40 
			 Westminster(2) 5,100 67 4,200 55 4,300 54 
		
	
	
		
			   LLFS 2004/05  APS 2005  APS 2006 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Barking and Dagenham 4,000 47 4,000 47 3,600 39 
			 Barnet 7,300 46 7,300 46 9,100 55 
			 Bexley 4,500 41 4,500 41 3,900 32 
			 Brent 7,800 71 7,800 71 7,700 76 
			 Bromley 5,700 41 5,700 41 4,700 34 
			 Camden 6,000 65 6,000 65 4,300 55 
			 Croydon 8,400 47 8,400 47 7,500 48 
			 Ealing 6,800 53 6,800 53 5,500 42 
			 Enfield 7,500 53 7,500 53 6,300 46 
			 Greenwich 3,400 32 3,400 32 3,900 31 
			 Hackney 6,900 56 6,900 56 5,400 47 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,500 48 3,500 48 4,800 71 
			 Haringey 6,500 52 6,500 52 6,400 49 
			 Harrow 4,900 46 4,900 46 4,800 58 
			 Havering 3,800 36 3,800 36 4,300 37 
			 Hillingdon 7,000 51 7,000 51 4,600 41 
			 Hounslow 4,200 42 4,200 42 4,200 37 
			 Islington 3,800 54 3,800 54 3,600 44 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4,100 86 4,100 86 3,400 68 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3,100 41 3,100 41 2,800 42 
			 Lambeth 3,600 46 3,600 46 4,000 36 
			 Lewisham 4,300 48 4,300 48 6,900 64 
			 Merton 2,400 42 2,400 42 4,200 43 
			 Newham 7,400 58 7,400 58 7,100 60 
			 Redbridge 9,200 66 9,200 66 7,100 50 
			 Richmond upon Thames 4,000 53 4,000 53 3,700 53 
			 Southwark 6,300 52 6,300 52 5,200 45 
			 Sutton 2,000 23 2,000 23 2,800 30 
			 Tower Hamlets 6,200 49 6,200 49 8,200 61 
			 Waltham Forest 4,000 44 4,000 44 4,400 40 
			 Wandsworth 6,600 50 6,600 50 4,900 55 
			 Westminster(2) 4,500 59 4,500 59 8,200 78 
			 (1) The percentage of 16 to 19-year-olds in employment or training but not in employment relates to academic age and is the average over a whole year. (2) Data for City of London were included with Westminster in the APS and LLFS data.

Vocational Education: Finance

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what central Government funding was for vocational higher education in  (a) Cornwall and  (b) England in each year since 1979.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	It is not possible to answer the question in precisely the way it has been asked. Total Government funding for higher education has risen from around 500 million in 1979 to some 10 billion today, but successive Governments have not allocated funding on the basis of particular areas or types of provision, but largely on the basis of supply and demand. We are keen to raise both the demand for and supply of sustainable higher education opportunities in Cornwall and will continue to work with a range of partners to try to achieve this.

Young People: Employment

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the provisions of the Education and Skills Bill if enacted on the employment of young people aged 16 to 18 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Under the policy to raise the participation age 16 and 17-year-olds will still be able to work, as long as they are in some form of education or training alongside this. There will be no effect on those currently in full-time employment, and there will never be a situation in which full time employees suddenly have to change to part time workingthe first 16-year-olds to be affected are aged 10 now. Young people will know before entering employment at 16 that they have to be in learning part time. And they will not all necessarily work part time. Some will work full time and be provided will accredited training by their employer, and we will encourage employers to do this. Some may rearrange their working hours to attend part time training, rather than working fewer hours. The impact assessment for the Education and Skills Bill was published alongside the Bill on 29 November and copies have been placed in the Library of the House. The impact assessment sets out that the estimated foregone productivity cost to the economy of some young people being released for education or training for one day a week who might otherwise have worked full-time is estimated to be around 4.3 million per cohort.

Young People: Unemployment

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people aged  (a) 16 and  (b) 17 in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK were not in education, employment or training in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: The Department publishes annual estimates of the number of 16 and 17-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England. Figures for 1997 to 2006 are shown in the following table. Equivalent information for the UK is not available.
	
		
			   16 year-olds NEET  17 year-olds NEET 
			 1997 38,100 48,000 
			 1998 44,900 49,800 
			 1999 41,800 41,800 
			 2000 42,400 43,700 
			 2001 45,900 59,000 
			 2002 49,800 55,000 
			 2003 51,400 47,500 
			 2004 51,000 59,000 
			 2005 53,000 73,300 
			 2006 (provisional) 42,800 62,700 
		
	
	The 16 and 17-year-old population has risen from 1.217 million to 1.322 million during this period.
	These estimates cannot be disaggregated to regional, local authority or constituency level. However, we can use information collected by the Connexions Service to estimate the number NEETs at local authority level since 2005, and regionally since 2003. This is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   As at December each year  South Tyneside  North East  England 
			  Age 16 2003  2,370 31,170 
			  2004  2,250 29,680 
			  2005 120 2,190 29,650 
			  2006 100 1,960 27,160 
			  
			  Age 17 2003  4,090 53,340 
			  2004  4,030 49,530 
			  2005 260 4,140 52,190 
			  2006 200 3,710 47,200 
		
	
	Figures are not available for Jarrow constituency.
	The DCSF and Connexions estimates are collected very differently. They use different definitions of age and NEET. As a result, Connexions estimates are lower, although the two sets of figures generally show a similar trend across a period of time.

TREASURY

Bank Services

Michael Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he or another Minister in his Department was first advised by the Bank of England of its view that the bank depositors' protection scheme needed improvement.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The UK compensation scheme is significantly more generous than the minimum requirements set in EU legislation. The Tripartite Authorities, following an exercise involving the then Economic Secretary, the Governor of the Bank of England and the chairman of the Financial Services Authority in November 2006, came to a shared view that work should be undertaken on potential reforms to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, The Tripartite Authorities were regularly updated on the progress of this work throughout 2007, which culminated in the proposals contained in FSA document 'Financial Services Compensation SchemeFunding Review (March 2007)' and the Tripartite discussion document 'Banking ReformsProtecting Depositors: A discussion Paper (October 2007)'.

Breast Cancer

Andy Reed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) women and  (b) men have been diagnosed with breast cancer at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 December 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many  (a) women and  (b) men have been diagnosed with breast cancer at the most recent date for which figures are available.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases (incidence) of malignant neoplasm of breast are for the year 2004, and are available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vink=8843Pos=ColRank=1Rank=272
	In England,  (a) 36,939 women and  (b) 272 men were diagnosed in 2004.

Low-carbon vehicles: allowances for businesses

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend the current system of offering enhanced capital allowances to enable businesses to write-down the capital costs of low-carbon vehicles during the first year of ownership to cover scooters.

Angela Eagle: The 100 per cent. first year allowance (FYA) for expenditure on cars with low carbon dioxide emissions expires next March.
	As announced at the 2007 pre-Budget report, the Government are currently considering options for the taxation of business cars and there will be further announcements at Budget 2008.

Cancer: Death

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the death rates from cancer in under 75-year-olds were in  (a) England,  (b) each strategic health authority area and  (c) each primary care trust area in each year since 2000.  [Official Report, 10 June 2008, Vol. 477, c. 1MC.]

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 December 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the death rates from cancer in under 75 year olds were in (a) England, (b) each strategic health authority area, and (c) each primary care trust area in each year since 2000. (172582)
	Mortality rates for the current NHS organisations in England are available from 2002 onwards. The attached table provides the age-standardised mortality rate from all cancers for persons under 75 years old, in (a) England, (b) strategic health authorities and (c) primary care organisations, from 2002 to 2006 (the latest year available). A copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	
		
			  Table 1. Age-standardised mortality rate from cancer1,2, all persons aged under 75 years, in England, strategic health authorities and primary care organisations( 3) , 2002-06( 4) 
			  Rate per 100,000 (persons) 
			  Area  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 England 125 121 119 117 116 
			   
			 North-east 145 137 138 134 136 
			 County Durham 136 142 136 129 134 
			 Darlington 141 119 133 122 125 
			 Gateshead 152 133 134 143 137 
			 Hartlepool 161 153 161 148 157 
			 Middlesbrough 167 152 150 143 154 
			 Newcastle 157 143 140 151 145 
			 North Tees 148 142 145 129 141 
			 North Tyneside 156 136 150 124 132 
			 Northumberland 122 119 125 115 121 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 140 127 137 144 133 
			 South Tyneside 162 150 152 148 136 
			 Sunderland Teaching 142 140 131 138 139 
			   
			 North-west 139 133 132 133 128 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan 133 133 138 118 126 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 155 151 145 131 129 
			 Blackpool 149 134 152 148 141 
			 Bolton 132 138 123 135 121 
			 Bury 128 128 145 128 130 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire 119 110 112 114 106 
			 Central Lancashire 130 116 116 129 113 
			 Cumbria 122 117 123 120 116 
			 East Lancashire 136 127 124 122 116 
			 Halton and St. Helens 138 141 141 155 131 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale 146 133 155 144 119 
			 Knowsley 166 181 161 139 167 
			 Liverpool 162 163 162 175 161 
			 Manchester 173 163 165 165 167 
			 North Lancashire 127 120 120 128 119 
			 Oldham 161 144 133 135 133 
			 Salford 161 165 154 154 149 
			 Sefton 134 130 134 130 118 
			 Stockport 121 125 119 124 118 
			 Tameside and Glossop 152 149 121 140 136 
			 Trafford 128 121 121 125 129 
			 Warrington 112 128 119 114 119 
			 Western Cheshire 141 124 119 116 125 
			 Wirral 153 135 131 125 136 
			   
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 133 128 125 121 121 
			 Barnsley 146 143 145 133 134 
			 Bradford and Airedale 135 124 138 121 118 
			 Calderdale 137 129 120 116 114 
			 Doncaster 149 145 136 131 129 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 114 116 110 116 108 
			 Hull 155 142 154 137 150 
			 Leeds 135 133 124 121 122 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 135 141 126 133 136 
			 North Lincolnshire 132 112 119 111 121 
			 North Yorkshire and York 113 113 111 108 105 
			 Rotherham 145 146 139 115 128 
			 Sheffield 135 124 124 127 117 
			 Wakefield District 146 132 123 130 131 
			 East midlands 122 121 117 115 113 
			 Bassetlaw 123 151 132 111 134 
			 Derby City 121 119 122 108 115 
			 Derbyshire County 123 128 113 116 113 
			 Leicester City 125 118 121 119 111 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland 100 109 109 106 101 
			 Lincolnshire 119 117 114 109 117 
			 Northamptonshire 128 114 119 122 114 
			 Nottingham City 150 153 153 135 143 
			 Nottinghamshire County 126 121 114 120 110 
			   
			 West midlands 126 124 119 119 119 
			 Birmingham East and North 147 131 125 128 128 
			 Coventry Teaching 132 126 126 136 122 
			 Dudley 134 128 118 117 116 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching 134 128 128 137 127 
			 Herefordshire 109 106 101 106 102 
			 North Staffordshire 128 114 118 109 117 
			 Sandwell 147 147 140 126 142 
			 Shropshire County 115 107 110 103 111 
			 Solihull Care Trust 120 112 119 104 116 
			 South Birmingham 132 132 127 131 120 
			 South Staffordshire 119 118 117 115 108 
			 Stoke on Trent 136 155 152 136 135 
			 Telford and Wrekin 109 129 124 123 125 
			 Walsall Teaching 135 133 127 132 134 
			 Warwickshire 115 117 97 117 113 
			 Wolverhampton City 148 139 128 130 139 
			 Worcestershire 109 112 111 108 108 
			   
			 East of England 114 114 111 108 106 
			 Bedfordshire 114 108 118 110 107 
			 Cambridgeshire 114 111 103 104 103 
			 East and North Hertfordshire 118 116 115 102 105 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney 107 115 106 116 115 
			 Luton 112 117 116 132 103 
			 Mid Essex 107 121 111 103 99 
			 Norfolk 116 109 101 102 105 
			 North-east Essex 112 114 107 114 105 
			 Peterborough 123 117 114 129 107 
			 South-east Essex 117 117 119 115 114 
			 South-west Essex 133 124 121 111 124 
			 Suffolk 109 114 110 105 94 
			 West Essex 109 115 110 109 108 
			 West Hertfordshire 113 107 117 108 107 
			   
			 London 124 119 117 114 113 
			 Barking and Dagenham 154 148 126 142 142 
			 Barnet 100 105 105 101 99 
			 Bexley 115 112 109 112 117 
			 Brent Teaching 119 108 100 89 102 
			 Bromley 112 115 104 110 105 
			 Camden 114 115 126 121 122 
			 City and Hackney Teaching 145 123 138 122 131 
			 Croydon 120 109 125 113 109 
			 Ealing 100 112 106 118 103 
			 Enfield 113 122 109 116 100 
			 Greenwich Teaching 137 138 135 146 133 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 152 142 129 117 106 
			 Haringey Teaching 114 134 125 108 119 
			 Harrow 105 100 102 103 100 
			 Havering 127 111 110 125 115 
			 Hillingdon 130 107 125 120 116 
			 Hounslow 135 127 101 110 125 
			 Islington 171 146 151 131 142 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 102 75 80 89 61 
			 Kingston 123 114 99 99 110 
			 Lambeth 145 133 128 137 127 
			 Lewisham 136 141 132 144 124 
			 Newham 130 124 142 118 133 
			 Redbridge 130 109 105 98 102 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 111 117 135 101 117 
			 Southwark 146 129 125 121 126 
			 Sutton and Merton 117 126 105 107 104 
			 Tower Hamlets 148 148 165 130 150 
			 Waltham Forest 137 126 114 114 126 
			 Wandsworth 130 110 130 122 121 
			 Westminster 110 116 109 97 84 
			   
			 South-east coast 114 115 113 109 110 
			 Brighton and Hove City 117 119 123 129 135 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald 108 109 124 103 104 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent 128 125 122 116 118 
			 Hastings and Rother 124 113 120 108 127 
			 Medway 130 138 120 118 131 
			 Surrey 102 104 102 101 102 
			 West Kent 117 117 117 .101 101 
			 West Sussex 110 111 106 113 107 
			   
			 South central 117 112 111 109 108 
			 Berkshire East 110 111 110 94 104 
			 Berkshire West 105 109 111 104 102 
			 Buckinghamshire 123 110 112 104 112 
			 Hampshire 115 113 107 106 102 
			 Isle of Wight NHS 110 117 116 107 114 
			 Milton Keynes 132 118 143 124 105 
			 Oxfordshire 109 97 102 112 103 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching 125 140 117 138 143 
			 Southampton City 146 134 118 131 134 
			   
			 South-west 117 113 109 108 107 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 109 103 107 113 100 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 108 103 112 117 109 
			 Bristol 142 126 137 120 125 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 123 108 111 109 111 
			 Devon 118 116 108 107 106 
			 Dorset 110 105 101 106 97 
			 Gloucestershire 105 112 107 104 105 
			 North Somerset 127 113 106 100 96 
			 North Staffordshire 128 114 118 109 117 
			 Plymouth Teaching 127 144 126 123 123 
			 Somerset 110 110 108 108 103 
			 South Gloucestershire 111 112 102 99 113 
			 Swindon 117 115 101 120 126 
			 Torbay 138 115 101 112 105 
			 Wiltshire 115 108 100 97 104 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes COO to C97. (2) Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (3) Based on boundaries as of 2007. The 152 primary care organisations include 148 primary care trusts (PCTs), and four care organisations (CO's). (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Capital Gains Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 47W, on capital gains tax, if he will estimate the revenue implications of taxing capital gains at the same marginal rates as income tax, with indexation from April 2008.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 5 December 2007
	The revenue yield from taxing all capital gains at the income tax rates announced for 2008-09 with indexation allowance but without applying taper relief would be of the order of 3 billion a year by comparison with the current (2007-08) regime. This is a broad estimate that assumes continuation of the tax-free annual exempt amount and takes into account the likely taxpayer response to the change.

Capital Gains Tax

Paul Holmes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the capital gains tax (CGT) revenues received by the Exchequer from sales of residential properties in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the net effect on this CGT revenue stream of the proposed reforms to CGT announced in the October 2007 pre-Budget report.

Jane Kennedy: Capital gains tax paid depends on the taxpayer's total gains, losses, reliefs and marginal rate, so it is not possible to attribute amounts of tax to separate disposals. Statistics on the number of disposals, disposal value and gains made on assets disposed of in 2004-05 by type of asset, including residential property, are available in National Statistics table 14.4 on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/capital_gains/menu.htm
	The 2007 pre-Budget report announced a reform of the capital gains tax regime for individuals. From 6 April 2008, all disposals that attract capital gains tax will do so at a rate of 18 per cent.

Capital Gains Tax: Private Equity

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed changes in capital gains tax on private equity firms.

Jane Kennedy: The 2007 pre-Budget report announced a reform of the capital gains tax regime for individuals. From 6 April 2008, all disposals that attract capital gains tax will do so at a rate of 18 per cent. Along with changes to address loopholes and anomalies in the residence and domicile rules, these changes will increase the fairness of the tax system including for individuals in the private equity industry.

Child Benefit Office: Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in the IT department at the Child Benefit Office received bonuses in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how much was paid out in such bonuses in total.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 27 November 2007
	The Child Benefit Office is one of a number of HMRC business units responsible for delivering child benefit. 18 HMRC staff work in IT support for child benefit IT systems. The director of Information Management Systems recognises exceptional performance through a recognition bonus scheme.
	Due to the small size of the IT team that supports child benefit IT systems it may be possible to identify individuals from this information and consequently it is not appropriate to say whether and how many bonuses were paid during the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when HM Revenue and Customs was first informed by the National Audit Office of the non-arrival of information from the child benefit database despatched on 18 October;
	(2)  how many officials in his Department have had access to the child benefit database in 2007; and what action he has taken to reduce the numbers having such access.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	It would be inappropriate to comment on these issues as there is an on-going police investigation.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the Chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officials had access to a full copy of HMRC's data on the payment of child benefits as at 18 October 2007;
	(2)  how many CD copies have been made of the full copy of HM Revenue and Customs' data on the payment of child benefit in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 26 November 2007
	It would be inappropriate to comment on these issues as there is an ongoing police investigation.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to help alleviate concerns of child benefit recipients whose data was lost by HM Revenue and Customs on possible  (a) identity fraud and  (b) criminal use of bank or building society account details.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the statement given in the House by my right hon. friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1101-04. The Acting Chairman of HMRC has also written to all customers affected, reassuring them that the police continue to have no reason to believe that the data has found its way into the wrong hands and setting out the advice that my right hon. friend the Chancellor offered in his statement.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff work in the Child Benefit Office's IT department.

Jane Kennedy: The Child Benefit Office is one of a number of HMRC business units responsible for delivering child benefit. 18 HMRC staff work in IT support for Child Benefit IT systems.

Child Benefit: Pregnant Women

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he received in favour of the introduction of child benefits in pregnancy before his 2006 pre-Budget speech; and if he will place copies in the Library.

Jane Kennedy: HM Treasury received a wide number of representations before the 2006 pre-Budget report on tax and benefits issues, which formed part of the process of policy development for the 2006 pre-Budget report.

Defence: Expenditure

Gary Streeter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of total Government expenditure in the last financial year was spent on  (a) defence and  (b) conflict prevention and resolution.

Andy Burnham: Table 4.3 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2007 sets out total expenditure on services in real terms and the proportion spent on defence. Separately, section 2 of MOD's annual report and accounts 2006-07 sets out the spend in that year directly attributable to conflict prevention.

Departmental Data Protection

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was budgeted by his Department in the last 12 months for ensuring the security of personal information.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available. The costs of information security are included in the overall costs of running HMRC.

Departmental Expenditure

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his core Department spent on  (a) staff salaries and  (b) administrative costs in each year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Details of salaries paid to staff in core Treasury in each year since 2003-04 are as follows:
	
		
			   Salary paid () 
			 2003-04 61,396,000 
			 2004-05 60,878,000 
			 2005-06 63,757,000 
			 2006-07 64,354,000 
		
	
	Details of administrative costs spending can be found in Table 7.4 of the Treasury's Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07, HC 518. A copy of the document can be found at
	hm-treasury.gov.uk.

Departmental ICT

Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the latest forecasted cost is of the delivery of the ASPIRE IT support project.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 4 December 2007
	The current projected cost, before inflation, of the ASPIRE IT Services contract, which now runs until 2017, is 7.7 billion, 800 million less than the projected cost disclosed at PAC last year.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of posts in his Department were recategorised from back office to frontline posts as classified by the Gershon efficiency review in each year since 2004.

Angela Eagle: HM Treasury Group publishes the progress against efficiency targets in its Spring Annual Report and Accounts and Autumn Performance Report. The 2007 Autumn Performance Report will be published shortly.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining his Department's and its agencies' corporate identity; and what the estimated annual cost is of  (a) producing and  (b) complying with such guidelines.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 8 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 217-18W.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the core Treasury's Strategic Reserve was spent on activities  (a) not defined as and  (b) not previously categorised as strategic reserve-funded activities in each year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 20 November 2007,  Official Report, column 702W.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue he received from taxation on fuel used by local authorities and by services contracted by local authorities in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Estimates are not available for the revenue received from taxation on fuel used by local authorities and by services contracted by local authorities. Registered traders pay the duty to HMRC and information on the customer is not recorded on the return.
	VAT charged to local authorities, and with respect to services contracted out by them, is normally recoverable in full by the purchaser; and so does not represent net revenue receipts.

Government Departments: Wastes

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what volume of waste was generated by each central Government Department over the last 12 months, as recorded by the Electronic Property Information Mapping Service database.

Angela Eagle: This data is not currently held within the Electronic Property Information Mapping Service database. It is planned to capture this information for the first time in 2008.

HM Revenue and Customs

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his statement of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1101-18, on HM Revenue and Customs, what representations he has received from banks requesting that he delay announcing the loss of personal data by HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 27 November 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the statement given in the House by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1101-04 and to his subsequent remarks to the House on 28 November 2007,  Official Report, column 306.

HM Revenue and Customs: Delivery Services

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed by HM Revenue and Customs to monitor deliveries placed with mail carriers and at what cost to his Department in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: It would be inappropriate to comment on this as there is an ongoing police investigation.
	On 20 November the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's security processes and procedures for data handling led by Kieran Poynter, the chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

HM Revenue and Customs: Delivery Services

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all mail carriers employed by HM Revenue and Customs to handle outgoing mail.

Jane Kennedy: The following companies handle outgoing mail for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC):
	Royal Mail;
	TNT UK Ltd.;
	Lynx Express Ltd.;
	The DX Group Ltd.; and
	G4S Ltd.

HM Revenue and Customs: Public Appointments

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the role is of the director of information technology at HM Revenue and Customs; what his salary is; how many staff there are in his team; and what responsibility he had for the systems in operation prior to the loss of child benefit data.

Jane Kennedy: The chief information officer (CIO) is the head of Information Management Solutions, the directorate that develops and runs the IT systems and solutions that help HMRC achieve its objectives.
	The current CIO heads the 1,538 members of staff in the IMS directorate, the equivalent of 1,491 full-time posts. It would not be appropriate to provide details of his salary.

Home Responsibilities Protection

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with HM Revenue and Customs on retrospective applications for entitlement to home responsibilities protection in the tax years immediately after the scheme was introduced in April 1978; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Home responsibilities protection is provided automatically for people in receipt of child benefit, or income support with a carer's premium. In these cases, where a national insurance record does not fully reflect an individual's entitlement to home responsibilities protection there is no time limit to retrospective correction of the record.
	For other groups with an entitlement to home responsibilities protection, in some cases a claim must be made within set time limits. However, retrospective applicants for home responsibilities protection for years between April 1978 and 5 April 2002 may be made at any time up to state pension age.

Income Tax: Newcastle upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the receipts from a one pence rate of income tax in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Jane Kennedy: The approximate tax liability from a one pence rate of income tax charged on the total income of taxpayers living in the metropolitan district of Newcastle upon Tyne can be estimated from the information on the number of taxpayers and their mean income provided in table 3.14 Income and tax by borough district and unitary authority on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm#314.
	Estimates are available for 2003-04 and 2004-05 and are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes.

Income Tax: Newcastle upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total number of income taxpayers in the City of Newcastle in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; and how many of these were pensioners.

Jane Kennedy: Information on the number of taxpayers in the metropolitan district of Newcastle upon Tyne can be found in table 3.14 Income and tax by borough district and unitary authority on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm#314.
	Estimates are available for 2003-04 and 2004-05 and are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes.

Inheritance Tax

Philip Dunne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated cost would be to the Exchequer for the tax year  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10 of raising the individual inheritance tax allowance to 1,000,000 if (i) allowances remained transferable between spouses and civil partners as announced in the 2007 Pre-Budget Report and (ii) the system operated as it did prior to the changes announced in the 2007 Pre-Budget Report.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Mr. Spring) on 4 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1200W.

Office of Government Commerce

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the Office of Government Commerce Buying Solution's expenditure of the relocation of London-based posts to Liverpool in each year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: HM Treasury Group publishes progress against its headcount reduction and relocation targets in its Spring Annual Report and Accounts and Autumn Performance Report. The 2007 Autumn Performance Report will be published shortly.

Pensioners: Income

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioners aged between 60 and 64 have an annual income between 5,700 and 16,500; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: In 2008-09, there will be an estimated 0.5 million pensioners aged between 60 and 64 with an annual income between 5,700 and 16,500.
	Estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes 2004-05 and projected in line with PBR 2007 assumptions.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he expects the cost to the public funds to be of the General Register Office's Magpie project; what the timetable is for the implementation of the project; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 December 2007:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the expected cost will be to the public funds of the General Register Office's Magpie project; what the timetable is for the implementation of the project; and if he will make a statement. (169523)
	A revised business case for the MAGPIE project is still in preparation. Estimates of costs and timetables will be available when the business case has been finalised and approved.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public funds  (a) has been and  (b) is expected to be in total of the General Register Office's Dove project; and how much was originally budgeted for the cost of the project.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 December 2007:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the cost to the public funds  (a) has been and  (b) is expected to be in total of the General Register Office's Dove project; and how much was the original sum budgeted for the cost of the project. (169524)
	Almost all of the costs of DOVE project are capitalised. To date, capital expenditure on the project is 8.1 million and total capital expenditure is currently projected to be 18.1 million. The capital cost of the project was estimated in the business case as 20 million.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the digitisation of records of births, marriages and deaths to be  (a) completed and  (b) made available to the public online; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 December 2007:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking when the digitisation of records of births, marriages and deaths will be  (a) completed and  (b) made available to the public online; and if he will make a statement. (169525)
	The current estimate is that the digitisation of records of births, marriages and deaths will be complete by August 2009. The date by which index data derived from the digitisation contract will be available for on-line access by the public will depend on the revised business case for the General Register Office's MAGPIE project, still in the course of preparation. Assuming the business case is approved and the necessary funding confirmed, it is hoped that the project can be completed by the end of 2009.

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when officials from HM Revenue and Customs last met representatives of the security industry.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC has frequent contact with a range of representatives of the security industry to discuss all aspects of security.

Tax Evasion

Mark Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue lost to tax evasion in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 6 December 2007
	There are no robust estimates of the revenue lost specifically to tax evasion for each of the last five years. However, HMRC have recently published two documents on tax losses alongside the 2007 pre-Budget report.
	Measuring Indirect Tax Losses 2007 presents the latest annual update of HMRC's estimates of revenue losses for indirect taxes.
	Developing Methodologies for Measuring Direct Tax Losses includes estimates of direct tax losses for individuals subject to income tax self assessment, small and medium-sized companies, and small and medium-sized employers.
	While the estimates given in these documents include evasion they also encompass other causes of losses, including avoidance and error.

Taxation: Domicil

Philip Dunne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many non-domiciled individuals are estimated to have been resident in the UK for more than  (a) seven,  (b) 10 and  (c) 17 tax years;
	(2)  how many requests for domicile rulings were made to the Capital Taxes Office and its successor HM Revenue and Customs Inheritance Taxes in each tax year since 1979-80; how many of these people were non-UK resident at the time of the request; and what information is available on their current residence status;
	(3)  how many people indicated non-domicile status in a P86 form in each tax year since 1979-80; of these how many  (a) did not also file a DOM 1 form in each year,  (b) are no longer resident in the UK; and  (c) submitted self-assessment returns for tax year 2005-06;
	(4)  how many people filed DOM 1 forms with HM Revenue and Customs in each tax year since 1979-80; how many of these people are no longer resident in the UK; and how many of them submitted self-assessment returns for tax year 2005-06;
	(5)  what his most recent estimate is of the number of UK residents who would be eligible to be taxed under the remittance basis as a result of non-domicile status;
	(6)  what estimate he has made of the number of people expected to be affected in the years 2008-09 to 2011-12 by the measures announced in the pre-Budget report to amend the current rules to remove flaws and anomalies that allow individuals using the remittance basis of taxation to sidestep UK tax, where it is due on foreign income and gains and who are assumed to complete self-assessment tax returns;
	(7)  what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue expected to be raised as a result of the removal of income tax personal allowances from people claiming the remittance basis in each year from 2008-09 to 2011-12; and how many people are expected to be affected in each year;
	(8)  what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue expected to be raised as a result of changes to the residence rules so that days of arrival in and departure from the UK will count towards establishing residence in each year from 2008-09 to 2011-12; and how many people are expected to be affected by these changes in each year;
	(9)  what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue expected to be raised through  (a) payment of the 30,000 annual charge on non-domiciles and  (b) payment of UK income tax and capital gains tax on unremitted income and gains as a result of individuals choosing not to claim the remittance basis who would have claimed it in the absence of the charge in each of the years from 2008-09 to 2011-12;
	(10)  how much revenue is estimated to be raised as a result of measures announced in the pre-Budget report to amend the current rules to remove flaws and anomalies that allow individuals using the remittance basis of taxation to sidestep UK tax, where it is due on foreign income and gains in each year from 2008-09 to 2011-12; how many people are expected to be affected in each year; and on what assumptions these figures are based;
	(11)  what estimate he has made of the number of individuals who will choose  (a) to pay the full 30,000 annual charge on non-domiciles and  (b) not to claim the remittance basis but would have claimed it in the absence of the charge in each year from 2008-09 to 2011-12.

Jane Kennedy: Information on the numbers affected by and the yield expected from the measures announced on residence and domicile at the recent PBR can be found in 'Paying a fairer share: a consultation on residence and domicile', published on 6 December.
	No part of HMRC gives domicile rulings for inheritance tax purposes. Domicile is considered only as and when it is directly relevant in determining the scope of a charge to inheritance tax following an actual chargeable event. The requested information about residence is not available.
	I regret that the information requested on forms P86 and DOM 1 is not available.

Taxation: Domicil

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions he made in estimating the revenue raised from modernisation of residence and domicile taxation in table B4, page 164 of the pre-Budget report about  (a) the number of non-domiciles who would pay the new 30,000 charge,  (b) the gain from non-domiciles who choose to bring their tax affairs on-shore and  (c) other factors for (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Information on the numbers affected by and the yield expected from the measures announced on residence and domicile at the recent PBR will be part of the consultation document published recently. The document includes a summary of the analysis held and answers a number of questions that have been asked in this area. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Taxation: Pensioners

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners aged between 60 and 64 who will have a greater tax liability as a result of the changes to age-related tax allowances introduced in the 2007 Budget; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: Only taxpayers aged 65 and over receive age related tax allowances subject to an income taper.
	For the overall effect of changes to net tax introduced in the 2007 Budget on taxpayers' liabilities, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 18 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 1266W-68W.

Taxation: Sports

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what leisure activities are classed as sports for tax purposes by HM Revenue and Customs; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will seek to discuss the decision by HM Revenue and Customs not to recognise racing pigeons as a sport for tax purposes with the Royal Pigeon Racing Association.

Jane Kennedy: Sports clubs that meet certain criteria are able to register with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC). HMRC do not however decide which sports are eligible sports for the CASC scheme. Eligible sports are defined by Treasury Order, by reference to the Sports Councils' list of recognised activities. The list can be accessed at
	www.sportengland.org/index/get_resources/resource_ul.htm.

VAT: Nicotine Patches

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will discuss with HM Revenue and Customs extending the lower rate of VAT to all products that are intended for use as smoking cessation aids.

Jane Kennedy: The 5 per cent. reduced VAT rate currently applies to all pharmaceutical products designed to help people to stop smoking tobacco. This is the widest reduced rate for smoking cessation aids possible under European VAT agreements.

Video Games: Research

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 926W, on video games: research, for what reasons the information on HM Revenue and Customs research and development units for the computer games industry is not available; and what breakdown by industry sector and recipient can be provided of the allocation of 150 million by HMRC.

Angela Eagle: Information on claims for RD tax credits for the computer games industry is not available because the data is broken down by industry sector using the UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities (SIC), and the computer games industry is not identified as a separate sector in this classification.
	No industry breakdown is available of the figure of 150 million, which relates only to the payable credit element of the RD tax credit scheme. However, a breakdown is available for the National Statistics published on the total claims made for RD tax credits and total support claimed. This shows that companies in the computer and related services sector accounted for over a fifth of the total 6,300 claims made for RD tax credits in 2004-05, and a tenth of the 580 million of support in these 6,300 claims. Whilst many companies involved in the computer games industry may appear in this industry sector, some may have other classifications.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit claimants who ceased to be entitled to tax credit by reason of working less than 16 hours a week have been informed that overpayments will be remitted; and what the value was of the remittances made to such tax credit claimants.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 19 November 2007
	An amount of 186 million was remitted in the 2006-07 accounts in respect of this issue. The relevant notes to the 2006-07 Trust Statement can be found on page 100 of the HMRC Accounts published at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/hmrc-06-07-acc.pdf.

Young People: Scotland

David Mundell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many young people were not in education, employment or training in Scotland in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the latest date for which figures are available, broken down by Westminster constituency.

Angela Eagle: This is a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the 10 most frequent causes of repeat visits to accident and emergency wards were in the latest period for which figures are available; and what estimate has been made of the avoidable costs which accrued from such visits.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on reasons for attendance at accident and emergency (A and E) departments is not routinely collected and therefore information is not available on causes of visits or repeat visits to A and E.
	It is a matter for the local national health service to ensure that they provide urgent and emergency care services that are responsive to people's needs.

Air Ambulance Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many air ambulances were operating in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; what estimate he has made of their operating cost in that period; and how much of the cost was paid by the public purse;
	(2)  what the average annual staff cost was of an air ambulance in the latest period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the average annual  (a) insurance and  (b) running costs of an air ambulance.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is not responsible for air ambulances, and does not routinely collect air ambulance data centrally. However, the Department has previously commissioned research into helicopter emergency ambulance services. The research undertaken estimated that there were 16 air ambulances operating across 14 organisations in England and Wales and that an the average annual operating costs of an individual air ambulance were around 0.8 million a year (based on data from 11 of the 14 organisations, ranging from 2000 to 2001-02). In addition, representatives from ambulance trusts and air ambulance charities are currently working together to seek to improve joint working practices and procedures and undertook a survey of air ambulance charities in August/September 2007 to which 14 air ambulance organisations responded. Those responses indicated that there were 24 helicopters and that the average expenditure per helicopter per annum was 0.8 million. Neither piece of work provided information on insurance costs.
	Since 1 April 2002, the Department has made clear that it would normally expect the national health service to meet the cost of clinical staff on air ambulances, but the levels of such funding are not collected centrally. It is for NHS ambulance trusts to decide whether they provide any additional funding to the air ambulance charities.

Air Ambulance Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were airlifted by air ambulances in the last 12 months for which figures were available.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not collected centrally.

Ambulance Services: Shropshire

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that there is an appropriate number of West Midlands Ambulance Trust's ambulances in Shropshire to respond to emergency calls during the day and at night.

Ben Bradshaw: It is for the West Midlands Ambulance Service to ensure appropriate provision of resources to meet local demand.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average response time was for  (a) air ambulances and  (b) road ambulances in areas in which air ambulances operated in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not collected centrally. The ambulance response time data that is collected covers ground ambulances in England only. It does not include average response times, but does include data on performance, by each ambulance trust, against current national targets. The data is published annually. The latest statistical bulletin, Ambulance Services, England, 2006-07 was published in June 2007, a copy is available in the Library.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average time taken to respond to an emergency telephone call by the ambulance service was in Suffolk in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information on the average response times to emergency calls by national health service ambulance trusts.
	The data that the Department does collect on ambulance response times is published on an annual basis in the statistical bulletin, Ambulance services, England. These documents are available in the Library and on the Information Centre for Health and Social Care website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-datacollections/audits-and-performance/ambulance/ambulance-services-england-2006-07

Ambulances: Hygiene

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports he has received on the cleanliness of ambulances; and whether he plans to take steps to improve cleaning of ambulances.

Ben Bradshaw: No reports have been received by the Department on the cleanliness of ambulances recently.
	Ambulance trusts are covered by the code of practice on the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections.
	The Ambulance Service Association has issued guidance to ambulance trusts onmaintaining high standards of hygiene to prevent the spread of infection.
	The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) have also produced guidance on ambulance design recommending easy-to-clean surfaces and materials to ensure rapid decontamination.
	In addition, the NPSA cleanyourhands campaign is now being extended to ambulances. In September 2007, two trusts in England (South East Coast and West Midlands) have started to pilot the campaign.

Assura Group

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the involvement of Assura Group with primary care trusts.

Ben Bradshaw: This is not a matter for the Department. It is for primary care trusts to manage the performance and effectiveness of those providers delivering services on their behalf.

Assura Group

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the role of Assura Group is in the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: It is for primary care trusts to commission services that reflect the needs of the local population and to determine who to contract with to deliver these services. The Department does not collect information about contracts which are agreed locally between primary care trusts and providers.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the financial position of Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust.

Ben Bradshaw: At the end of quarter two of 2007-08, Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust is forecasting a financial year-end deficit of 34.6 million.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he expects Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust to break even by the end of financial year 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: At the end of quarter two of 2007-08, Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust is forecasting a financial year-end deficit of 34.6 million.

Blood: Donors

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much blood was donated via the National Blood Donor Scheme in each year that the scheme has been running.

Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to provide data on how much blood has been donated since blood collection first began.
	The National Blood Service (NBS) is responsible for managing the blood supply in England and north Wales. Since it was established, the NBS has collected the following amounts.
	
		
			   Units of blood collected( 1 ) (million units) 
			 1992-93 2,208 
			 1993-94 2,210 
			 1994-95 2,255 
			 1995-96 2,330 
			 1996-97 2,356 
			 1997-98 2,389 
			 1998-99 2,397 
			 1999-2000 2,427 
			 2000-01 2,356 
			 2001-02 2,376 
			 2002-03 2,323 
			 2003-04 2,285 
			 2004-05 2,143 
			 2005-06 2,012 
			 2006-07 1,969 
			  Note: These figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000.

Care Homes: Complaints

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the procedure is for investigating complaints about standards of care and abuse and neglect in care homes; and what the procedure was before 2006.

Ivan Lewis: All care homes are subject to the Care Homes Regulations 2001, which include a requirement that the provider has an effective complaints procedure. All residents have access to this. Normally, the expectation is that in the first instance the complaint should be raised with the provider. In addition, people whose care needs have been assessed by local authorities, or whose care is commissioned or funded by local authorities, have access to the statutory local authority social services complaints procedure. If the local authority response does not satisfy the complainant, they are entitled to refer the matter to the local government ombudsman.
	People can also raise concerns with the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). CSCI welcomes representations about the standard of care in care homes and reports of suspected abuse, and will respond to these as appropriate. CSCI's role in doing so is that of a regulator, where issues are raised that impact upon the safety of services and compliance by the provider with the regulations. However, CSCI does not have a role in resolving complaints for individuals.
	In addition, anyone receiving national health service health care, irrespective of their circumstances, is able to make a complaint under the NHS complaints procedure, for example, care home residents registered with a general practitioner.
	The procedures for complaints relating to care homes have not altered since the current regulatory regime for care homes was introduced in 2002.

Care Homes: Inspections

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that standards of nursing care in nursing homes in England are inspected by registered nurses.

Ivan Lewis: The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) is responsible for all aspects of regulation and inspection of care homes in England, including those providing nursing care. CSCI employs inspectors with a range of professional skills for dealing with a mixed caseload, including approximately 300 inspectors who are registered nurses. Where possible, CSCI will assign inspectors with a nursing background to inspect nursing homes.
	CSCI expects non-nurse inspectors to discuss any clinical issues arising at inspection with nursing colleagues in their team. As part of this process, CSCI has good practice guidance, known as clinical triggers, for inspectors in respect of several areas such as nutrition, continence management and medication. These triggers alert inspectors as to when it would be appropriate to instruct the service provider to contact local health services to arrange specialist nursing assessment for a resident or, to seek advice from a clinical colleague within CSCI to ascertain whether enforcement action may be necessary.
	CSCI has a source of specialist nursing advice in its Head of Health Policy and Quality. CSCI also has a head pharmacist; where there are concerns around medication, a pharmacist inspector will inspect the service. All inspectors receive training in all methodologies and tools.

Care Homes: Inspections

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place for the inspection of  (a) nursing homes and  (b) hospital wards for elderly patients.

Ivan Lewis: The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) is responsible, under the Care Standards Act 2000 and associated Regulations, for all aspects of regulation and inspection of care homes providing nursing care.
	Up until April 2005, all care and nursing homes were required to be inspected twice yearly. From April 2005, CSCI's inspectors started using new ways of inspecting social care providers, based on the aims set out in the consultation document, Inspecting for Better Lives. The new inspection methodology is designed to place the people who use social care services and their experiences at the heart of the way CSCI inspects and regulates care services.
	From April 2005, CSCI has carried out key inspections for care and nursing homes at a frequency determined by the quality of the service. A key inspection is a thorough, detailed inspection, under which CSCI will assess all of the key national minimum standards. For example, a poor quality service will receive a minimum of two key inspections a year, an adequate service will receive a minimum of one key inspection a year, a good service will receive a minimum of one key inspection every two years, and an excellent service will receive a key inspection a minimum of once every three years.
	CSCI also carries out random and thematic inspections, which are short, focused inspections on a specific theme or area.
	The Healthcare Commission is responsible for inspecting hospitals. The Healthcare Commission checks annually that core standards are in place across each national health service trust. If inspected, a trust is required to provide evidence that standards are in place in each part of the organisation. This includes wards for older patients. About 20 per cent. of trusts are selected for a core standards inspection each year.
	In addition, in February 2007, the Healthcare Commission carried out a more in-depth review of dignity and care arrangements for older patients in hospital. Twenty-three hospitals were visited and a range of observations and interviews of ward staff were undertaken. The report of the findings can be found on the Healthcare Commission website at:
	www.healthcarecommission.org.uk.

Chan Wheeler

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contractual arrangements the NHS has in place to allow the Commercial Director of the NHS, Chan Wheeler, to participate in the legal actions in which he is involved in the United States of America.

Ben Bradshaw: Mr. Channing Wheeler, Director General, Commercial Directorate, is employed by the Department. He holds a senior civil service contract and is subject to the Department's standard leave policies. Mr. Wheeler has not taken leave to participate in any legal actions since taking up appointment on 18 June 2007. There are no contractual arrangements in place between Mr. Wheeler and the national health service.

Chase Farm Hospital: Manpower

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) nurses and  (b) doctors were relocated away from the Chase Farm hospital site by Barnet and Chase Farm NHS trust in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally. Workforce planning is a matter for determination by the local national health service, as they are best placed to asses the health care needs of their local populations.

Chiropody: Greater London

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the average waiting time to see a chiropodist was in  (a) Uxbridge constituency and  (b) the London borough of Hillingdon in each year since 1997 for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many patients received chiropody treatment in  (a) Uxbridge constituency and  (b) the London borough of Hillingdon in each year since 1997 for which figures are available;
	(3)  what plans he has to improve NHS chiropody services in  (a) Uxbridge and  (b) the London borough of Hillingdon;
	(4)  what chiropody services there are in  (a) Uxbridge constituency and  (b) the London borough of Hillingdon.

Ben Bradshaw: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to ensure that the services they commission meet the needs of the populations that they serve, including chiropody services.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department and its agencies have spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has spent the following on official Christmas cards since 2002:
	
		
			   Cost () 
			 2002 1,243.15 
			 2003 2,689 
			 2004 3,480 
			 2005 2,854 
			 2006 3,001.92 
		
	
	All expenditure incurred in the purchase and postage of official Christmas cards is made in accordance with the Department's guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting.
	The Department has spent the following on Christmas trees and tree decorations:
	
		
			   Cost () 
			 2002 2,987.64 
			 2003 3,082.51 
			 2004 3,390.69 
			 2005 3,546.38 
			 2006 1,997.50 
		
	
	The Department has not spent anything on Christmas parties in each of the last five years. Information about what agencies spend on these items is not held centrally.

Community Hospitals

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many community or cottage hospitals were operating in 1980; how many were closed in each subsequent year; and what the change was in the number of bed spaces as a result in each year.

Ben Bradshaw: These figures are not routinely collected. We are however aware that since 1980 some small hospitals have closed and some new health premises have opened. The policy developments for community hospitals contained in the Our health, Our care, Our say White Paper are leading to a wider range of provision of local health and social care services and this is supported by a 750 million capital investment programme for community hospitals and services.

Dental Services

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts are operating waiting lists for patients wishing to access primary dental care.

Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally. It is for primary care trusts to make local arrangements to support patients in accessing national health service dental services.

Dental Services

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department last conducted an assessment of the level of  (a) need and  (b) demand for NHS primary dental care.

Ann Keen: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for providing or commissioning primary dental care services to reflect local needs. PCTs have function within The Functions of Primary Care Trusts (Dental Public Health) (England) Regulations 2006 (SI No 2006/185) to undertake oral health surveys to assess and monitor oral health needs within their area. This is a local rather than centrally managed process. The Department has issued guidance to the local national health service on developing local dental commissioning plans. Additional support is available through the National Primary Care Contracting Team.

Dental Services

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the value of the dental health care market was borne by  (a) the NHS and  (b) private practice in each year since 1997; and how this is calculated.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect data on expenditure on private dentistry which would allow it to identify the total value of the dental health care market and its apportionment between the national health service and private sectors.

Departmental Consultants

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  for which of his Department's programmes the total cost to date of employing consultants has surpassed 500,000;
	(2)  for which programmes his Department employs consultants at a cost of more than 100,000 per annum.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information on consultants in the format requested. To do so would attract disproportionate cost.
	A new system will be introduced in April 2008 called SHOWA, which will be able to gather such information for the Department.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2007,  Official Report, column 377WA, on Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body, if he will place in the Library a copy of the value for money delivery plan that his Department prepared as part of the comprehensive spending review.

Ben Bradshaw: In line with the requirements on all Government departments as part of the comprehensive spending review, we will be publishing our value for money delivery agreement by the end of December, following clearance by HM Treasury.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on implementing savings under the Gershon programme; and how much was saved in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: In the period up to June 2007 the Department had achieved 5,524 million towards its target of 6,470 million by March 2008.
	We will be providing full details of progress up to September 2007 in our autumn performance report, which will be published in December and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Departmental Data Protection

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what reviews have been undertaken of his Department's rules on data protection in the last two years; if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the last review of his Department's compliance with data protection laws; and if  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies will undertake a review of their compliance with data protection laws;
	(2)  on how many occasions in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies confidential data have been downloaded on to compact discs (i) without and (ii) with encryption in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; how many of those discs have been posted without using recorded or registered delivery; what procedures his Department has in place for the (A) transport, (B) exchange and (C) delivery of confidential or sensitive data; what records are kept of information held by his Department being sent outside the Department; what changes have been made to his Department's rules and procedures on data protection in the last two years; on how many occasions his Department's procedures and rules on data protection have been breached in the last five years; what those breaches were; what procedures his Department has in place on downloading confidential data on to computer discs before its transfer; what technical protections there are in his Department's computer systems to prevent access to information held on those systems which is not in accordance with departmental procedures; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each of his Department's rules and procedures on the protection of confidential data on individuals, businesses and other organisations;
	(3)  how many employees of each grade in his Department  (a) have access to confidential or sensitive data and  (b) are authorised to download such data to disc; how many of his Department's employees have undergone data protection training in the last 12 months; what the average length of time is that each employee of (i) his Department and (ii) his Department's agencies has spent on data protection training; how many investigations of employees of his Department for improperly accessing confidential information have taken place in the last 12 months; how many such investigations resulted in cases of disciplinary action; and what the circumstances of each of those cases were.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are in place in his Department to ensure that personal information relating to members of the public is  (a) stored and  (b) transported securely.

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  on how many occasions the Information Commissioner was contacted by his Department to report breaches of data protection security in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many breaches of data protection security there were in  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies in each of the last five years; and if he will provide details of each breach.

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to protect the personal data on members of the public which it holds.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he proposes to review how his Department transports data; and whether his Department uses TNT to transport data.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Orders and Regulations

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many regulations his Department has  (a) made and  (b) revoked in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: In the year ending November 2007, the Department made 99 statutory instruments and revoked 28 and part of one other.

Departmental Pay

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in his Department earned a salary over 100,000 in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table presents the data for the years as requested. Figures for 1997 to 2006 are taken from departmental annual reports. The 2007 figure is taken directly from the Department's payroll system.
	
		
			  In post date  (1 April each year)  Number of staff earning a salary over 100,000 on that date 
			 2007 56 
			 2006 64 
			 2005 71 
			 2004 56 
			 2003 52 
			 2002 39 
			 2001 30 
			 2000 23 
			 1999 16 
			 1998 12 
			 1997 8

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department and its agencies spent on end-of-year bonus payments in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table presents the total amount of bonuses paid in each year since 2004-05. The Department changed its payroll provider in 2003-04. Information on performance bonuses paid prior to those presented is only available from individual payslips. To retrieve the information for years prior to those presented would therefore involve disproportionate cost.
	
		
			Total paid out as bonus 
			  Year in which bonus paid  Year to which bonus applies  Department ()  Medicines and Healthcare products and Regulatory Agency ()  NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency () 
			 2007-08 2006-07 1,382,549 593,223 21,644 
			 2006-07 2005-06 1,400,049 349,836 31,758 
			 2005-06 2004-05 1,252,140 276,592 8,600 
			 2004-05 2003-04 1,064,465 n/a 9,781 
			 n/a = Not available

Departmental Postal Services

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which companies are under contract to his Department to provide mail services.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has a 'standing arrangement' with Royal Mail for the delivery and collection of mail and an annual trading agreement with Parcelforce.
	The Department has a formal contract with Point 2 Point for the delivery of urgent items.
	In conjunction with Department for Transport the Department has a service level agreement with the Government Car Service for the delivery of mail between official buildings.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what policy proposals above his Department's delegated limits were approved by HM Treasury as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review process.

Ben Bradshaw: Approval for policies above delegated limits is agreed with Her Majesty's Treasury as and when this is needed. This is a separate process from the Comprehensive Spending Review. No specific approvals were given for expenditure above delegated limits as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review settlement.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what dates his Department made formal written submissions to HM Treasury as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review process; and what the purpose of each submission was.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department made formal written submissions to Her Majesty's Treasury as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 on 15 December 2006, 2 March and 7 September 2007. The submissions outlined the Department's plans for 2008-09 to 2010-11 for discussion with HM Treasury.

Dermatology: Primary Health Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect practice-based commissioning for dermatology services is expected to have on equity of access for treatment for primary care patients.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department considers practice-based commissioning to be a key route for improving access to services, including dermatology. Practice-based commissioning has the potential to benefit patients by enabling access to a greater variety of services from a larger number of providers in settings that are closer to home or more convenient for them.

Emergency Services: Disciplinary Proceedings

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions emergency service personnel have been disciplined for misuse of blue lights in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally.

English Language

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people sat the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board test in each testing centre in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Secretary of State does not hold information on how many people sat the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board test in each testing centre in each of the last five years. This information can be obtained from the General Medical Council (GMC).

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 600W, on general practitioners, how many of the 100 new practices will be delivered in each of the primary care trusts identified.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department continues to discuss with the national health service how many practices will be established in each of the 38 primary care trusts (PCTs) identified as having the poorest provision. A final decision will be made in January 2008 following completion of PCT delivery plans.

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 600W, on general practitioners, by what date he expects the discussions on timescales to be completed.

Ben Bradshaw: Primary care trusts are currently developing their timescales as part of their local delivery plans which are expected to be completed by January 2008.

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 600W, on general practitioners, what guidance he has issued to primary care trusts to ensure that they procure innovative solutions and models of provision that will contribute to improvements in access and outcomes for patients.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department will shortly be publishing a procurement framework which will contain practical tools and guidance that primary care trusts (PCTs) will need to manage local procurements. The framework will explain how PCTs should work with clinicians and patients locally to develop service specifications that reflect local need and maximise innovation, including, for health centres, the extent to which they co-locate and integrate with other services, for example pharmacy, diagnostics and social care.

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what indicators his Department used to determine comparative levels of GP provision in primary care trusts.

Ben Bradshaw: The indicators that have been used to determine the 25 per cent. of primary care trusts with poorest provision are listed as follows and reflect the criteria identified in 'Our NHS, Our Future', i.e. fewest primary care clinicians, poorest health outcomes and lowest patient satisfaction.
	 Primary care clinicians
	Whole time equivalents (wte) general practitioners (GPs) per 100,000 weighted population; and wte practice nurses per 100,000 weighted population.
	 Health outcomes
	male life expectancy;
	female life expectancy;
	cancer mortality among under 75s;
	cardiovascular mortality among under 75s;
	index of multiple deprivation (health);
	percentage of patients with diabetes in whose glycated haemoglobin is 7.5 mg or less;
	percentage of patients with hypertension in whose blood pressure reading is 150/90 or less.
	 Patient s atisfaction
	percentage of patients seen within 48 hours;
	percentage of patients able to book an appointment more than 2 days ahead;
	percentage of patients satisfied with their practice telephone system;
	percentage of patients able to see a specific GP; and
	percentage of patients satisfied with practice opening hours.

General Practitioners: Databases

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects sealed envelope software is likely to be available for testing in each of the main established GP systems; and what plans he has to pilot the software within established discrete General Practice databases before being rolled out to databases accessible by multiple providers.

Ben Bradshaw: The 'sealed envelope' is a set of requirements for the management of patient data which is in accordance with undertakings given in the NHS Care Record Guarantee. The requirements were developed in consultation with general practitioners (GPs) and reflect existing security mechanisms found in the main established GP systems, but will operate with a consistent naming convention and a consistent set of procedures. The sealed envelope functionality therefore does not require new or innovative software to be developed for GP systems but will require compliance testing with the Spine when this functionality is available in mid-2008.
	Under the recently-awarded GP Systems of Choice (GP SoC) contract NHS Connecting for Health will engage with GP system suppliers to agree compliance plans for sealed envelope and other information governance controls.

General Practitioners: Greater London

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs there were in  (a) Uxbridge constituency,  (b) Hillingdon Primary Care Trust and  (c) Greater London in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested can be found in the following table which shows the number of General Medical Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)(1) for London, Hillingdon Health Authority (HA) and Hillingdon Primary Care Trust (of which Uxbridge is a part) for the period 1997 to 2006 (which is the latest data available).
	(1 )General Medical Practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes general practitioner (GP) providers and GP others.
	
		
			  Number (headcount) 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 England 28,046 28,251 28,467 28,593 28,802 29,202 30,358 31,523 32,738 33,091 
			 London 4,324 4,273 4,275 4,307 4,301 4,327 4,531 4,695 4,896 4,868 
			 Hillingdon HA 127 128 127 127 (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			 Hillingdon PCT (1) (1) (1) (1) 132 129 131 144 138 143 
			 (1) Denotes data not available.  Note: Data presented for organisations in existence in the specified years.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

General Practitioners: Publications

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS publications have been sent to general practitioners since May 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: In the period since May 2005 there have been a programme of publications sent to all general practitioners (GPs) via a regular mailout. The details of these are as follows.
	Added to this, there have been a number of ad hoc mailings of national health service publications to individual general practitioners or groupings of general practitioners. As well as this, the Department has also sent to general practices a number of NHS publications to practices with the intention that these be made available to members of the public in waiting rooms. We do not have figures for either ad hoc mailings to general practitioners or for publications aimed at the general public, and to identify these numbers would involve disproportionate costs.
	The following NHS publications were sent to all GPs since May 2005:
	GP bulletin and GP and Practice Team bulletin: 10-12 bulletins per year. If registered via the Department's website GPs will have received these via an e-mail link. Otherwise hard copies have been sent by post.
	16 May 2005: GP BulletinMay 2005Issue 40
	17 May 2005: GP BulletinMay 2005Issue 40 reissue
	7 June 2005: GP BulletinJune 2005Issue 41
	4 July 2005: GP BulletinJuly 2005Issue 42
	5 August 2005: GP BulletinAugust 2005Issue 43
	5 September 2005: GP BulletinSeptember 2005Issue 44
	6 October 2005: GP BulletinOctober 2005Issue 45
	4 November 2005: GP BulletinNovember 2005Issue 46
	5 December 2005: GP BulletinDecember 2005/January 2006Issue 47
	6 February 2006: GP BulletinFebruary 2006Issue 48
	24 February 2006: GP BulletinMarch 2006Issue 49
	24 March 2006: GP BulletinApril 2006Issue 50
	28 April 2006: GP BulletinMay 2006Issue 51
	26 May 2006: GP BulletinJune 2006Issue 52
	30 June 2006: GP BulletinJuly 2006Issue 53
	1 August 2006: GP BulletinAugust 2006Issue 54
	25 August 2006: GP BulletinSeptember 2006Issue 55
	29 September 2006: GP BulletinOctober 2006Issue 56
	27 October 2006: GP BulletinNovember 2006Issue 57
	23 November 2006: GP and Practice Team BulletinDecember 2006Issue 58
	26 January 2007: GP and Practice Team BulletinFebruary 2006Issue 59
	2 March 2007: GP and Practice Team BulletinMarch 2007Issue 60
	2 April 2007: GP and Practice Team BulletinApril 2007Issue 61
	11 May 2007: GP and Practice Team BulletinMay 2007Issue 62
	8 June 2007: GP and Practice Team BulletinJune 2007Issue 63
	10 July 2007: GP and Practice Team BulletinJuly 2007Issue 64
	3 August 2007: GP and Practice Team BulletinAugust 2007Issue 65
	7 September 2007: GP and Practice Team BulletinSeptember 2007Issue 66
	11 October 2007: GP and Practice Team BulletinOctober 2007Issue 67
	2 November 2007: GP and Practice Team BulletinNovember 2007Issue 68
	Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Updates. Ordinarily there are between two-four editions per year, although in 2007 there was only one.
	July 2005: CMO UpdateIssue 42
	January 2006: CMO UpdateIssue 43
	August 2006: CMO UpdateIssue 44
	October 2006: CMO UpdateIssue 45
	November 2007: CMO UpdateIssue 46
	British National Formulary (BNF): There are two editions per year (sent to general practitioners in March and October of each year), plus one Children's BNF in addition to this (sent to GPs in September of each year).
	NHS Choices Magazine: a hard copy mailout of this publication was sent to all GPs in August 2007.

General Practitioners: Questionnaires

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which departmental questionnaires have been sent to general practitioners since May 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department regularly carries out surveys of the national health service. There have been no surveys specifically targeted at general practitioners, although a survey carried out for the Departments What Matters to Staff earlier this year included 3,000 General Practice staff.

General Practitioners: Working Hours

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 13 November 2007,  Official Report, column 178W, on GP service provision, what the dates were of meetings held between his officials and the group of out-of-hours providers brought together by the NHS Alliance in the last 12 months; and if he will place the  (a) agenda and  (b) minutes of each meeting in the Library.

Ben Bradshaw: The dates of meetings held between officials and the group of out-of-hours providers brought together by the NHS Alliance in the last 12 months are:
	20 February 2007
	22 May 2007
	9 October 2007
	A copy of the agenda and minutes for each of the meetings, with the exception of minutes for the meeting on 22 May 2007, when the meeting was brief and minutes were not recorded, have been placed in the Library.

Health and Social Care Information Centre

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what items of information are available through the Information Centre for Health and Social Care's catalogue; whether each item of information is available to  (a) the NHS,  (b) other interested parties and  (c) the public; what (i) additions and (ii) deletions from the catalogue he anticipates taking place over the next 12 months; what changes in the availability of access to information contained in the catalogue he anticipates taking place over the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Information Centre for health and social care's catalogue can be accessed at the Information Centre's website at www.ic.nhs.uk. The Catalogue lists over 600 data collections and identifies where data are published. The Information Centre is currently reviewing which data should be made available in the catalogue in the future.

Health and Social Care Information Centre

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions  (a) the Information Centre for Health and Social Care and  (b) the NHS Business Services Authority has had with (i) the British Medical Association, (ii) the Royal College of Nursing and (iii) other interested parties on data collection in each month since June 2007; what the content was of these discussions; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Information Centre for health and social care and the National Health Service Business Services Authority have had discussions since June 2007 with a wide range of stakeholders, including the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Nursing and other interested parties. Contact with stakeholders may be formal or informal and will cover data collections and standards where this is relevant.

Health and Social Care Information Centre

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Information Centre for Health and Social Care's priority projects are for 2008-09.

Ben Bradshaw: The Information Centre's priority projects for 2008-09 will be made available in March 2008 and published on its website at
	www.ic.nhs.uk.

Health Hazards: Asbestos

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely cost of asbestos disposal in NHS properties in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally. Responsibility for the disposal of asbestos found in any national health service property is a matter for local management. The NHS, along with all other industries has been alert to the risks associated with asbestos for many years, and managers are aware of their responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.

Health Professions: Conditions of Employment

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who is the senior official responsible for the Modernising Medical Careers Programme Board.

Ann Keen: The Director General Workforce, as the Programme's Departmental Management Board sponsor, and the Chief Medical Officer, as the Department's medical lead, are responsible for the Modernising Medical Careers Programme Board.

Health Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts have  (a) completed and  (b) not yet completed a strategic services development plan; and in which year each completed plan was completed.

Ben Bradshaw: Strategic service development plans (SSDPs) are required as part of the overall partnership agreements underpinning primary care trusts (PCTs) and other trusts who are parties to local improvement finance trust (LIFT) agreements. Part of that partnership agreement is a contractual obligation on the parties to update the SSDP on an annual basis. There is no requirement for SSDPs to be completed in non-LIFT areas.
	No central record is kept of the status of individual SSDPs. The following information lists PCTs with LIFT agreements.
	Ashton, Leigh and Wigan
	Barking and Dagenham
	Barnet
	Barnsley
	Bassetlaw
	Bedfordshire
	Bexley Care Trust
	Birmingham East and North
	Blackburn with Darwen Teaching
	Bolton
	Bradford and Airedale Teaching
	Brent Teaching
	Bristol Teaching
	Bromley
	Bury
	Camden
	City and Hackney Teaching
	Cornwall and Iles of Scilly
	Coventry Teaching
	Croydon
	Derby City
	Derbyshire County
	Doncaster
	Dudley
	Ealing
	East and North Hertfordshire
	East Lancashire
	Greenwich Teaching
	Halton and St. Helens
	Hammersmith and Fulham
	Hampshire
	Haringey Teaching
	Harrow
	Havering
	Heart of Birmingham Teaching
	Hillingdon
	Hounslow
	Hull Teaching
	Islington
	Kingston
	Knowsley
	Lambeth
	Leeds
	Leicester City Teaching
	Leicestershire Country and Rutland
	Lewisham
	Liverpool
	Manchester
	Medway Teaching
	Middlesbrough
	Milton Keynes
	Newcastle
	Newham
	Norfolk
	North East Essex
	North Staffordshire
	North Tyneside
	North Yorkshire and York
	Northamptonshire Teaching
	Northumberland Care Trust
	Nottingham City
	Nottingham Country Teaching
	Oldham
	Oxfordshire
	Plymouth Teaching
	Redbridge
	Richmond and Twickenham
	Rochdale Heywood and Middleton
	Salford Teaching
	Sandwell
	Sefton
	Sheffield
	South Birmingham
	South East Essex
	Southampton City
	Southwark
	Stoke on Trent Teaching
	Suffolk
	Sutton and Merton
	Tameside and Glossop
	Tower Hamlets
	Trafford
	Walsall Teaching
	Waltham Forest
	Wandsworth Teaching
	Warrington
	West Kent
	Wolverhampton City

Health Services: Armed Forces

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the potential numbers of  (a) serving and  (b) veteran services personnel who (i) are eligible for and (ii) have received priority for treatment in the NHS in each of the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: The recent extension of long-standing arrangements for priority treatment for war pensioners to all veterans, for service-related conditions, does not affect the current arrangements for serving military personnel to get accelerated access to the national health service in certain circumstances.
	There are about 4.8 million veterans. Most veterans with service-related conditions are already receiving any health care that they need for those conditions, sometimes with priority access as war pensioners. Our view is that the extension of the priority treatment arrangements will be relevant to only a small number of veterans.

Health Services: Armed Forces

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects on the  (a) 10 primary care trusts with the highest concentrations of serving and veteran service personnel and  (b) the NHS of the decision to give priority treatment to serving and veteran service personnel.

Ben Bradshaw: Information is not available about which primary care trusts (PCTs) have the highest concentration of veterans. The extension of priority treatment to all veterans will not affect serving military personnel, as their arrangements for accelerated access to the national health service are not changing. As with the current arrangements for priority treatment for war pensioners, decisions about priority treatment for all veterans will be made by the relevant clinicians, and will be subject to clinical need. There should be no significant additional cost: the policy is about prioritisation of future referrals.

Health Services: EC Accession

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of migration from A8 countries on health spending per capita in each Government Office region.

Ben Bradshaw: Funding is allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each PCTs' share of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need.
	The 2006-07 and 2007-08 revenue allocations are based on 2003 based long-term sub-national population projections published by the Office for National Statistics. Population projections forecast the population from a base year estimate, taking into account ageing and assumptions based on past trends about births, deaths and migration.
	The Home Office recently sought information on the effect of migration from A8 countries from each regional Government office for a presentation given by the Minister for Borders and Immigration to the Migration Impacts Forum (MIF). This was based mainly on anecdotal evidence from regional sources but many regions did in fact point to the young demographic and implicit good health of recent arrivals. We will be using future meetings of the MIF to discuss and consider in more detail health issues related to migration.

Health Services: Foreigners

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the submissions to the 2004 consultation Proposals to Exclude Overseas Visitors from Eligibility to Free NHS Primary Medical Services.

Ben Bradshaw: The responses to the 2004 consultation, 'Proposals to Exclude Overseas Visitors from Eligibility to Free NHS Primary Medical Services' were both extensive and inconclusive. They highlighted a range of difficult and sensitive issues.
	As a result, all these issues are now being considered as part of the joint Department of Health and Home Office review of the rules governing access to the national health service by foreign nationals. The review was announced on 7 March in the Home Office publication, 'Enforcing the Rules: A new strategy to ensure and enforce compliance with our immigration laws'.
	The review is due to be completed shortly and will then be followed by a full public consultation. The responses to the 2004 consultation are being considered as part of this review, we will publish the responses to the 2004 consultation when the Review of Access to the NHS by foreign nationals goes out to public consultation in spring 2008.

Health Services: Gloucestershire

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions Stroud District Council has had with Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust on the proposal to increase primary care provision in the new settlement of Hunts Grove, with particular reference to  (a) numbers of GPs and  (b) dentistry provision.

Ben Bradshaw: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) in conjunction with other local stakeholders and their strategic health authorities to make assessments of health needs and to commission services accordingly.
	Therefore, this is a matter between Stroud district council and Gloucestershire PCT.
	My hon. Friend may wish to approach the council or the PCT directly on this matter.

Health Services: NHS Direct

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has plans to integrate the services provided by NHS walk-in centres with NHS Direct.

Ben Bradshaw: There are no plans nationally to integrate these services. NHS Direct offers telephone advice and refers callers to NHS walk-in centres and other local services where face-to-face contact is needed.

Health Services: Private Sector

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the levels of expenditure by private companies on primary care premises and polyclinics; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally. It is for primary care trusts to agree locally with providers the level of investment into primary care premises.

Health Services: Publicity

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of creating his Department's End Waiting, Change Lives brand, broken down by  (a) internal and  (b) external consultancy costs.

Ben Bradshaw: The creative design cost to develop the End Waiting, Changes Lives identity was 96,691.50. The cost includes developing and testing creative routes, refining the chosen route and applying it across materials and account management.
	There were no internal consultancy costs.

Health Services: Reform

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the next Government Professional Health Reform Implementation Programme National Advisory Conference will take place; and what steps he is taking to ensure the representation of the public and patients.

Ben Bradshaw: The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence has been asked to host the next meeting of the National Advisory Group, which was proposed in 'Trust, Assurance and Safety', in spring 2008. A precise date and time has yet to be arranged. The Council has been asked to ensure that at least 50, of an estimated 500, places are available to patient and the public representatives.

Health Services: Reform

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the final reports to Ministers from the chairpersons of each of the seven Government Professional Health Reform Implementation Programme work streams are required to reflect a consensus position of all chairpersons.

Ben Bradshaw: Chairpersons of each of the seven national working groups will not be required to reflect a consensus position of all chairpersons of the seven working groups. Each chairperson has been selected for their personal expertise in a particular area and the recommendations which they make will be considered in their totality by Ministers.

Health Services: Reform

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what responses his Department has received as a result of the work of each of the seven Government Professional Health Reform Implementation Programme work streams; and what the dates were of those responses.

Ben Bradshaw: As yet none of the working groups have reported, although we expect the Enhancing Confidence in Healthcare Professional Regulators chair to submit the report from his working group to the Department by the end of November.

Health Services: Reform

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which representatives of which public and patient organisations attended each of the seven Government Professional Health Reform Implementation Programme work streams; when each was invited to participate; how many of these meetings each attended; what estimate he has made of the period of time between the receipt of papers for meetings and the dates of those meetings; and whether patient and public representatives have been given opportunities to make formal presentations at those meetings.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	Patient and public representatives have been asked to contribute to working groups on an equal basis to other working group members.
	
		
			  Working group meetings and patient and public representation 
			  Working group  Sub-group  Meeting dates  Papers circulated on  Patient and public representatives  Date invited  Number of meetings attended 
			 Enhancing Confidence in the Professional Regulators  6 November 2007 2 November 2007 Ms Margaret Goose, Chair of the Royal College of Physicians of London, Patient and Carer Involvement Steering Group 17 August 2007 Two of Three 
			   12 October 2007 9 October 2007
			   21 September 2007 19 September 2007
			
			 Health for Health Professionals  13 August 2007 7 August 2007 Mr. Anthony Halperin, Acting Chair, Patients Association 6 August 2007 Two of Two 
			   19 November 2007 15 November 2007 Ms Frances Blunden, Principal Policy Adviser, Which? 24 July 2007 One of Two 
			 Dr. Patricia Willkie, Patient/public representative, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges 24 July 2007 One of Two 
			
			 Medical Revalidation and Education  23 July 2007 20 July 2007 Ms Judy Wilson, Independent Consultant June 2007 Three of Three 
			   8 October 2007 3 October 2007
			   19 November 2007 16 November 2007
			
			 Non-Medical Revalidation  23 July 2007 19 July 2007 Ms Kate Webb, Principal Policy Adviser, Which? 17 July 2007 Two of Two 
			   1 November 2007 26 October 2007 Ms Judy Wilson, Independent Consultant 16 October 2007 One of One 
			
			 Tackling Concerns Locally  19 July 2007 16 July 2007 Ms Ann Alexander, Patients Association Trustee 2 July 2007 Delegate sent to Two of Two meetings 
			   27 September 2007 24 September 2007 Mr. Peter Walsh, Action Against Medical Accidents  Two of Two 
			
			  Tackling Concerns Locally, GMC Affiliates Sub-group 14 November 2007 8 November 2007 Peter Walsh, Action Against Medical Accidents 23 October 2007 One of One 
			 Ann Alexander, Patients Association 23 October 2007 Zero of One 
			 Frances Blunden, Principal Policy Adviser, Which? 23 October 2007 One of One 
			 Celia Davies, Visiting Professor LSE 23 October 2007 One of One 
			 Patricia Wilkie, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Patient Liaison Group 23 October 2007 Zero of One 
			
			  Tackling Concerns Locally, Responsible Officer Sub-group 16 October 2007 11 October 2007 Jonathan Coe (Witness) 7 September 2007 Zero of Two 
			   14 November 2007 8 November 2007
			
			  Tackling Concerns Locally, Performers List Sub-group 18 July 2007 This sub-group agreed to publish meeting papers on a dedicated internet-based workspace rather than circulate them by email 18 July 2007 No Public, patient involvement (PPI) Representative No PPI Representative 
			   24 September 2007  24 September 2007   
			   23 October 2007  23 October 2007   
			   20 November 2007  20 November 2007   
			
			  Tackling Concerns Locally, Raising Concerns and Managing Information Sub-group 7 December 2007 (planned) Group has yet to meet Peter Walsh (Action Against Medical Accidents) 13 November 2007 n/a 
			
			  Tackling Concerns Locally, Clinical Governance Sub-group 10 December 2007 (planned) Group has yet to meet Patient 15 November 2007 n/a 
			
			  Tackling Concerns Locally, Death Certification Sub-group To be confirmed (TBC) Group has yet to meet TBC Invitations have not yet been sent Group has yet to meet 
			
			 Extending Professional Regulation  21 November 2007 14 November 2007 Professor Celia Davies (nominated by Which) 24 October One of One 
			 Dr. Ron Walton (Vale of Glamorgan Community Health Council) 24 October One of One 
			
			 Tackling Concerns Nationally  TBA n/a TBC Invitations have not yet been sent Group has yet to meet

Health Services: Reform

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to enhance public and patient confidence in each of the seven Government Professional Health Reform Implementation Programme work streams.

Ben Bradshaw: We are proposing an event specifically for patient and public representatives in new year 2008 once all of the working groups have met. The purpose of the event will be to present the programme as a whole to representatives and to seek their feedback. This is in addition to the continuing involvement of patient and public representatives in the working groups and the National Advisory Group meeting. We are also planning to increase the number of public and patient representatives at the next National Advisory Group meeting.

Health Services: Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much additional funding his Department has provided for NHS communicators to support the End waiting, change lives campaign, broken down by financial year.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department provided each strategic health authority with an additional 50,000 during the 2007-08 financial year.

Hillingdon Hospital: Hospital Beds

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bed spaces there were on average at Hillingdon hospital in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested can be found in the following table, which shows the number of average available and occupied beds at Hillingdon hospital NHS trust since 1997 to 2006.
	
		
			  The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust 
			   Total (available)  Total (occupied) 
			 1997-98 566 516 
			 1998-99 567 498 
			 1999-2000 573 519 
			 2000-01 654 581 
			 2001-02 661 585 
			 2002-03 668 594 
			 2003-04 539 472 
			 2004-05 512 441 
			 2005-06 538 433 
			 2006-07 480 395 
			  Source:  Department of Health form KH03

Hillingdon Primary Care Trust: Finance

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the financial position is of Hillingdon Primary Care Trust.

Ben Bradshaw: The current financial position of Hillingdon Primary Care Trust (PCT) shows that at quarter two 2007-08 the PCT is forecasting a year-end breakeven position.

Hospital Wards: Closures

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many hospitals have closed wards since May 1997; and in which constituencies they are located;
	(2)  which hospitals have closed since May 1997, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally.
	National health service organisations will decide locally what constitutes the best configuration of health care services and facilities for their populations, working in conjunction with clinicians, patients and other stakeholders.
	In some localities, services may be provided in large centralised hospitals, while others may offer the same services in a community setting. The number, type and configuration of wards will depend on the range and extent of services to be provided.

Hospitals: Housing

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether trusts are able to rent hospital accommodation to  (a) persons who are not junior doctors and  (b) persons who are not health professionals.

Ben Bradshaw: National health service trusts may carry out property transactions that are linked to their ability to carry out their functions.
	In addition, NHS trusts have income generation powers under the National Health Service Act 2006 allowing them to raise additional income by marketing any spare capacity provided it does not, to any significant extent, interfere with the performance by trusts of their functions. These powers include supplying accommodation to any person.

Hospitals: Parking

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance he has issued on NHS hospitals levying car parking charges on disabled parking bays; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many NHS hospital trusts in England charge patients and visitors who are disabled badge holders for parking at their hospitals.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department issued revised guidance to the national health service in December 2006 entitled Income Generation: Car Parking ChargesBest Practice for Implementation on the issues to be considered when setting up a car parking scheme or when reviewing existing ones, including what charges to impose and what concessions to consider. This guidance strongly encourages the NHS to be sensitive to those patients who have to use their car parks regularly, by, for instance, offering them reduced price or free car parking. The guidance also stresses the importance of considering the needs of disabled users.
	There is no statistical information collected on the number of NHS trusts in England which charge disabled badge holders for parking at their hospitals. It is therefore not possible to provide this information.

Hospitals: Parking

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals in  (a) England and  (b) Teesside follow his Department's guidance on providing car parking concessions for patients travelling regularly for treatment; and what steps he has taken in relation to hospitals which do not follow the guidance.

Ben Bradshaw: There is no statistical information collected on the number of hospitals in England that provide car parking concessions for patients travelling regularly for treatment. It is therefore not possible to provide this information.
	Guidance issued to the national health service in December 2006 entitled Income Generation: Car Parking ChargesBest Practice for Implementation strongly encourages national health service bodies to be sensitive to those patients who have to use their car parks regularly, by, for instance, offering them reduced price or free car parking. However, NHS bodies are autonomous organisations and are not statutorily obliged to implement this best practice. It is for individual NHS bodies to set the level of charges on their premises, taking account of all the relevant local factors.

Medical Equipment

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the evidential basis is for the statement on page 7 of the consultation document Arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliancesand related servicesto Primary Care that there are indications that underlying manufacturing costs have gone down;
	(2)  which companies supplying products listed in Part IX of the Drug Tariff have provided information to his Department of a decline in manufacturing costs;
	(3)  which products were used to set the benchmark price in the proposed new pricing model for catheter, incontinence and stoma items; and when they were first listed on the Drug Tariff.

Ben Bradshaw: About 200 million a year is spent on appliances listed in part IXA (catheter-related), part IXB (continence-related) and part IXC (stoma-related) of the Drug Tariff.
	Arrangements for reimbursement of these remained largely unchanged for 20 years and information obtained through the consultation process to date indicates that efficiencies have been achieved in the manufacturing process. If this is not the case, the current consultation gives all parties the opportunity to provide evidence to the contrary.
	The proposed levels of reimbursement for catheter, continence and stoma-related appliances was set by using a pricing model that is set out in annex C of the consultation document entitled Arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliancesand related servicesto Primary Care. Revised proposals.
	Within each subcategory, the market share for products is measured as a percentage of total annual net ingredient cost spend. To determine the pricing model benchmark price, products with very low market share are excludedas they may not represent a valid benchmark for pricing comparison. In relation to stoma and incontinence appliances, the Department proposed that products of less than 0.1 per cent. of market share should be excluded for benchmarking purposes.
	This model was applied to the 5,000 plus items that are listed in parts IXA, B and C. As proposed, these items have been classified into 228 categories. To identify the date that the items that were at the benchmark price were first listed in the Drug Tariff could be done only at disproportionate cost to the Department. Information provided during meetings and in correspondence and has been offered commercial in confidence.

Medical Records: Databases

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances a patient's wishes expressed as a section 10 opt-out from the summary care record are expected to be overridden.

Ben Bradshaw: The Data Protection Act 1998 makes it clear that a section 10 request should only be overridden where the purpose served by processing the data is sufficiently important to warrant doing so even where it is accepted that substantial harm or distress is being caused. We do not expect there to be many, if any, circumstances where this would arise in the case of an individual who is competent to make decisions. We are, however, taking legal advice, and consulting with the Department for Children, Families and Schools, about the position in respect of those that lack competence, where all decisions should be taken in the individual's best interests.

Medical Records: Databases

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it will be lawful for the secondary users database to be searched at the request of the police and for the police to be provided with the identity of individuals whose medical records contain specific information.

Ben Bradshaw: Data from the secondary uses service will only be disclosed to the police where it is in the overriding public interest, for example to prevent, or support detection of, extremely serious crimes, where there is statutory authority, or where the courts have made an order requiring disclosure.

Medical Records: Databases

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who the data controller will be in respect of the information stored on the secondary users database.

Ben Bradshaw: The data controller for information held within the secondary users service is the Department. Other organisations lawfully permitted access to data held within the secondary users service will be data controllers in common for the subset of data that they can access.

Medical Records: Databases

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances he may be designated the data controller in relation to personal data processed on a detailed care record.

Ben Bradshaw: With regard to detailed care records provided as part of the national health service care records service, the Department is data controller in common with the NHS organisations providing health care to patients. Although key data controller responsibilities such as overall network and technical system security are managed through the Department's contracts, most data controller responsibilities will be discharged by local organisations. However, there may be occasions, for example due to an organisation ceasing to exist or function, where the Department is the sole data controller for the data concerned.

Midwives: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives worked in each London primary care trust on the 1 July in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	However, midwives are employed primarily by acute trusts, so the figures shown are for all organisations which employ midwives in the London Strategic Health Authority area. The non-medical workforce census, which the figures are taken from, is collected as at 30 September.
	
		
			  National health service hospital and community health services: Qualified midwifery staff in the London Strategic Health Authority area by organisation as at 30 September each specified year 
			  Headcount 
			1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006( 1) 
			  London Strategic Health Authority area  3,370 3,406 3,581 3,399 3,526 3,601 3,981 3,950 4,338 4,307 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust RF4 n/a n/a n/a n/a 248 244 283 284 297 292 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust RVL n/a n/a 222 206 229 260 247 242 270 243 
			 Barts and the London NHS Trust RNJ n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 119 150 142 131 115 
			 Brent and Harrow HA QAR 0 0 0 1 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust RG3 94 97 89 84 87 88 90 96 109 121 
			 Central Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust RAU 48 57 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Chase Farm Hospital NHS Trust RG9 135 120 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust RQM 129 149 152 146 142 148 151 121 188 165 
			 Croydon PCT 5K9 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 2 0 0 0 0 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust RC3 101 80 92 110 131 65 69 88 91 45 
			 Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust RVR n/a n/a 256 242 210 232 231 220 229 225 
			 Forest Healthcare NHS Trust RDF 110 116 117 109 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Guys and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust RJ1 176 235 189 140 170 176 234 239 286 342 
			 Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust RQN 46 71 150 188 198 172 141 154 214 160 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 5C9 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Havering Hospitals NHS Trust RG7 141 140 132 147 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust RAS 167 132 105 105 106 184 175 157 125 145 
			 Hillingdon PCT 5AT n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RQX 156 130 121 99 132 159 159 196 196 179 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 5LA n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 1 0 0 0 
			 King's College Hospital NHS Trust RJZ 151 115 132 128 160 161 198 197 209 210 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust RAX 156 176 177 165 157 160 162 155 172 179 
			  London Strategic Health Authority Q36 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Mayday HealthCare NHS Trust RJ6 157 44 200 89 111 98 99 106 102 141 
			 Newham Community Health Services NHS Trust RRH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Newham University Hospital NHS Trust RNH 115 141 157 115 125 119 119 118 146 156 
			 North East London SHA Q06 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 2 2 2 0 
			 North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust RAP 107 111 97 96 104 100 117 127 93 87 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust RV8 0 0 158 174 129 135 137 125 149 116 
			 Northwick Park Hospital NHS Trust RFZ 98 106 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust RG2 88 109 19 52 29 26 178 99 137 157 
			 Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust RGZ 159 162 161 151 175 204 161 124 122 109 
			 Redbridge Health Care NHS Trust RG4 103 111 99 100 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Redbridge PCT 5NA n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton NHS Trust RHG 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust RAL 26 25 50 38 51 95 105 72 99 131 
			 St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust RJ7 116 119 120 134 138 146 150 148 176 143 
			 St. Helier NHS Trust RAZ 156 164 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 St. Mary's NHS Trust RJ5 81 84 87 74 75 71 87 105 110 135 
			 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust RJ2 53 99 102 111 103 114 127 106 140 143 
			 The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust RKE 112 103 137 136 103 106 84 154 176 159 
			 Tower Hamlets Healthcare NHS Trust RRG 127 139 137 121 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 5C4 n/a n/a n/a n/a 117 1 1 1 1 1 
			 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RRV 20 30 35 52 64 67 85 94 101 134 
			 Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone PCT 5C6 n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Wellhouse NHS Trust RDC 135 140 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust RFW 104 101 88 86 109 67 81 94 123 127 
			 Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust RGC n/a n/a n/a n/a 122 80 156 184 143 145 
			 n/a = not applicable (1) More accurate validation processes in 2006 have resulted in the identification and removal of 9,858 duplicate non-medical staff records out of the total workforce figure of 1.3 million in 2006. Earlier years' figures could not be accurately validated in this way and so will be slightly inflated. The level of inflation in earlier years' figures is estimated to be less than 1 per cent., of total across all non-medical staff groups for headcount figures (and negligible for full-time equivalents). This should be taken into consideration when analysing trends over time.  Note: Data are presented for NHS organisations in existence for each year.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census.

NHS Business Services Authority

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS Business Services Authority's priority projects for 2008-09.

Ben Bradshaw: The NHS Business Services Authority's (NHSBSA) priority projects for 2008-09 are as follows:
	full implementation of the capacity improvement programme;
	implementation of the new NHS pension scheme;
	modernisation of the NHS pension service;
	review of major contractual arrangements;
	NHS supply chain benefits realisation;
	review of injury benefits;
	enhancing dental information services;
	supporting the development of electronic prescription service and ensuring NHSBSA readiness; and
	improving our operational value for money through efficiency plans and benchmarking.

NHS Direct

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 611WA, on NHS Direct, what the  (a) date and  (b) subject was of each ad hoc meeting held in the past 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not available. These meetings are generally informal and therefore a record is not maintained.

NHS Direct: Nurses

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 612WA, on NHS Direct, how many  (a) health advisers and  (b) nurse advisers were employed at NHS Direct in each month.

Ben Bradshaw: This is a matter for NHS Direct NHS Trust. They have provided the data in the following table.
	
		
			  Month  Nurse  a dvis e rs  Health  a dvis e rs 
			 November 2005 1,043 679 
			 December 2005 1,035 662 
			 January 2006 1,022 652 
			 February 2006 1,014 653 
			 March 2006 998 649 
			 April 2006 989 649 
			 May 2006 960 632 
			 June 2006 942 611 
			 July 2006 916 584 
			 August 2006 911 570 
			 September 2006 879 568 
			 October 2006 869 540 
			 November 2006 843 539 
			 December 2006 810 532 
			 January 2007 800 538 
			 February 2007 861 617 
			 March 2007 933 656 
			 April 2007 858 656 
			 May 2007 836 607 
			 June 2007 830 602 
			 July 2007 834 574 
			 August 2007 817 572 
			 September 2007 810 591

NHS Treatment Centres: Cornwall

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 612-4W, on NHS Treatment Centres: Cornwall, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the transfer of waiting list patients from the Royal Cornwall Trust to the Independent Sector Treatment Centre on the funding that the Royal Cornwall Trust receives through the Payment by Results system.

Ben Bradshaw: Independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) have been able to provide additional surgical capacity in the south-west while offering patients a wider choice of hospitals for their treatment. The treatment centres have helped local national health service hospitals in achieving their own maximum waiting time targets. Prior to the opening of the treatment centres, the local NHS used private sector capacity in an unstructured way to manage demand from general practitioners, but the introduction of treatment centres has reduced the requirement for this.
	We do not expect any hospital trust which is providing high quality, accessible services that meet patient needs to sustain a negative impact under Payment by Results, but ultimately it will be for patients to decide where they are treated under Choice.

NHS: Administration

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on  (a) administration and  (b) management in the NHS in each year since 1992 (i) in gross terms and (ii) as a percentage of the total NHS budget.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Administration  Management 
			   Total costs ( million)  As a percentage of total national health service expenditure  Total costs ( million)  As a percentage of total national health service expenditure 
			 1992-93 1,545 5.5 497 1.8 
			 1993-94 1,605 5.5 612 2.1 
			 1994-95 1,637 5.4 716 2.3 
			 1995-96 1,699 5.3 789 2.5 
			 1996-97 1,786 5.4 867 2.6 
			 1997-98 1,825 5.3 912 2.6 
			 1998-99 1,936 5.3 952 2.6 
			 1999-2000 2,078 5.2 1,054 2.6 
			 2000-01 2,279 5.2 1,187 2.7 
			 2001-02 2,597 5.3 1,332 2.7 
			 2002-03 2,893 5.4 1,571 2.9 
			 2003-04 3,188 5.0 1,777 2.8 
			 2004-05 3,412 4.9 2,098 3.0 
			 2005-06 3,648 4.8 2,213 2.9 
			 2006-07 3,619 4.5 2,088 2.6 
			  Note: Figures for 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 exclude data for foundation trusts.  Sources: Annual financial returns (unaudited) for primary care trusts, (strategic) health authorities and NHS trusts 1992-93 to 2006-07. NHS total expenditure (England) 1992-93 to 2006-07.

NHS: Administration

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on  (a) administration and  (b) management (i) as a percentage of the total budget and (ii) as the cost per head of population in the areas covered by each (A) primary care trust, (B) acute trust, (C) ambulance trust, (D) mental health trust, (E) foundation trust, (F) strategic health authority, (G) special health authority and (H) NHS arms length body in England in the last year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Information available (2006-07) for primary care trusts, all national health service trusts and strategic health authorities has been placed in the Library.
	It is not possible to show cost per head of population figures for NHS trusts because they do not serve discrete areas of population.
	This information is not held for foundation trusts, special health authorities or arms length bodies.

NHS: Data Protection

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will list the titles of all items of guidance  (a) the Information Centre for Health and Social Care and  (b) the NHS Business Services Authority has issued to its staff on the handling of personally-identifiable data; if he will place copies of these items of guidance in the Library; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent assessment the  (a) Information Centre for Health and Social Care and  (b) NHS Business Services Authority has made of the security of the personally-identifiable data it collects.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

NHS: Databases

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances  (a) a GP's surgery and  (b) another NHS organisation may pass on a patient's personal data to a third party.

Ben Bradshaw: Patient personal data is held by national health service organisations under legal and ethical obligations of confidentiality and subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. It may be passed to third parties when identifying details have been removed so the patient cannot be identified; or in accordance with statutory provisions or where required under court order; or where the public interest is such that obligations of confidentiality and the competing public interest in the provision of confidential health services need to be overridden, for example serious crime or child protection; or with the consent of the patient concerned.
	Guidance to the NHS is provided in the Department's publication 'Confidentiality: NHS Code of Practice' published in November 2003 is available in the Library.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 615WA, on NHS finance, for what reason additional cash limits were given to NHS trusts in 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: In 2006-07 the informal system of cash brokerage and planned support that had previously operated across the national health service, was replaced for primary care trusts (PCTs) by a formal system of cash limit additions. The requirements for cash limit additions were identified in conjunction with strategic health authorities, and were provided to finance historic working capital issues that had previously been financed informally through the cash brokerage system. Cash limit additions will be reversed over time in line with financial recovery in the PCTs.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 615WA, on NHS finance, which cash limit deductions were applied to NHS trusts in 2006-07, broken down by trust.

Ben Bradshaw: Cash limit adjustments were not applied to national health service trusts in 2006-07 in respect of these transactions.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 145WS, on primary care trusts (revenue allocations), for what reason the extension has been granted; what steps he has taken to allow primary care trusts to enter into three year agreements with local partners; and what assessment he has made of any risks primary care trusts may incur as a result of the delay in their funding settlement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA) has requested additional time to finalise its review of the weighted capitation formula to ensure that its proposed recommendations on changes to the formula are as robust as possible. This extension was granted to ACRA, as it is important that the allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) are fair and equitable.
	As a result of granting ACRA an extension to its work programme, it was not possible to announce three-year allocations to PCTs in time to give them sufficient planning time. Therefore, it was decided to make a one-year allocation to PCTs for 2008-09.
	The operating framework, due to be published in December, will set out the national priorities for the year ahead in the context of the comprehensive spending review (CSR), which set out the high level priorities for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11. Together with the high level growth figures announced in the CSR, this should allow each PCT to make reasonable assumptions for their longer term plans.
	Therefore, even though PCTs have received a one-year allocation only for 2008-09, they should still be able to plan financially and it should not prevent PCTs from entering into three-year agreements with local partners.
	The announcement of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 revenue allocations will be made by summer 2008.

NHS: Finance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 145WS, on primary care trusts (revenue allocations) what the terms of reference are of the review of the formula in support of revenue allocations.

Ben Bradshaw: The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA) continually oversees the development of the weighted capitation formula. Prior to each revenue allocation round, ACRA carries out a work programme to support the allocations to primary care trusts. The main items on ACRA's current work programme cover:
	a review of the market forces factor;
	a review of the need element of the formula; and
	determining a robust population base for the allocations.
	ACRA's terms of reference are:
	to advise the Secretary of State for Health on the distribution of resources across primary and secondary care, in support of the goal of equitable access to health care for all; and
	to develop and apply methods which are as objective and needs-based as available data and techniques permit.
	ACRA is taking forward its work programme under these terms of reference.
	In addition, the objective for the review of the need element of the formula is to contribute to:
	equal opportunity of access to health care for people at equal risk; and
	the reduction in avoidable health inequalities.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his  (a) highest and  (b) lowest estimate is of the likely NHS surplus in 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: As stated in 'The Quarter', released on 30 November 2007, the projected aggregate surplus for national health service organisations, excluding foundation trusts, at quarter two is 1,789 million (1.789 billion).

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to manage the risk to the NHS of the drop in its funding growth rate from 2008-09.

Ben Bradshaw: There are a number of factors that mean the national health service is well positioned to manage with a reduced rate of funding growth while continuing to deliver significant improvements to patient care.
	In the years covered by the 2007 comprehensive spending review (2008-09 to 2010-11) the NHS will receive real terms growth of 4 per cent. per year. This is significantly higher than the long-term average of around 3 per cent., so we should not consider the next three years as a period of low growth. On top of the growth in funding, the NHS will deliver annual average value for money improvements of 3 per cent., and the cash released will be available to improve patient care. The Department will publish the value for money agreement in December, which will support local delivery of the savings. In addition, the NHS is now in a sound financial position and better able to cope with reduction in the growth in funding.

NHS: ICT

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who has been the senior official responsible for user involvement in the National Programme for IT/Connecting for Health Programme since its inception, with the periods for which each official was responsible.

Ben Bradshaw: Since May 2005 to date, Mr. Richard Jeavons, Director of Service Implementation and senior responsible officer (SRO) for service implementation has had this responsibility, reporting to the NHS Chief Executive and overall SRO for the national programme for information technology. Previously the role was filled by Mr. Alan Burns (November 2004 to May 2005), and Professor Aidan Halligan (April 2004 to November 2004). Prior to April 2004 responsibility for arrangements for engaging with key stakeholders across the NHS was part of the responsibility of the then overall SRO for the programme, Sir John Pattison.

NHS: ICT

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the date was on which each renegotiation of his Department's Connecting for Health contracts was completed; and what the additional costs were arising out of each renegotiation.

Ben Bradshaw: There has been no renegotiation of primary supplier contracts let by NHS Connecting for Health under the national programme for information technology. There have been 'resets' of the contracts within the original terms and conditions to accommodate changes in subcontractor, development and deployment dates and, in one case, novation of the contract. All these changes continue to support the evolving needs of the national health service, but there has been no substantial change in contract scope or risk allocation. Suppliers continue to be responsible for delivering the overall requirements against the original terms and conditions, and within the original costs.

NHS: ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department has made on its review of health informatics; with which  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations his Department has had discussions for the purposes of contributing to the review; what the content was of these discussions, when he intends to publish the results of the review; whether he intends to consult on any recommendations contained in the review; what interim findings have emerged from the review to date; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The informatics review is in the initial stages of analysing collected data and information, and the process of consulting stakeholders has begun. To date the review team has met with staff from the information centre for health and social care, the Department's Information Services Division and NHS Connecting for Health, suppliers, and the national health service to discuss informatics issues and by its conclusions will have consulted a wide range of other stakeholders.
	The informatics review is planned to report in alignment with the next stage review being led by my noble Friend the Lord Darzi. So far there have been no interim findings.

NHS: Negligence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to answer question 167022, on the NHS Litigation Authority, tabled by the hon. Member for Billericay on 19 November.

Ann Keen: A reply was given on 6 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1438W.

NHS: Personal Records

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that the version of the patient record that can be accessed by the patient can be invisibly edited so that selected information can be removed at the patient's request, while remaining visible in the summary care record accessible to clinicians.

Ben Bradshaw: We are aware that both clinicians and patients may find functionality of this nature desirable and we are considering whether the clinician's sealed envelope functionality that is to be deployed in detailed care records might also be used in the summary care record.

NHS: Procurement

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions over the last 12 months NHS suppliers have been required to resupply stock at their own expense.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect this information centrally.
	Suppliers to the national health service through NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency or NHS Supply Chain national framework agreements are required to adhere to terms and conditions. It is part of these standard terms and conditions that if goods are not delivered within specified timescales, the NHS body that placed the contract is able to purchase replacement goods from an alternative source and recover any difference in cost from the contracted supplier.
	It is also possible that suppliers may be asked to re-supply goods at their own expense, for example where the original goods supplied are damaged, faulty or sub-standard.

NHS: Property

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS properties are vacant and awaiting final disposition.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally.

NHS: Reform

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to make  (a) agendas and  (b) other papers of each Government Professional Health Reform Implementation Programme work stream meeting available on his Department's website in advance of each such meeting.

Ben Bradshaw: All working groups have agreed to make agendas, papers and minutes of meetings available after working group meetings, where agreed by working group members. It would not be appropriate to publish papers widely before members of working groups have had the opportunity to comment on them.

NHS: Repairs and Maintenance

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions NHS contractors have been required to provide repairs at their own expense over the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Nutrition: Medical Equipment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether nutritional screening equipment for use in the NHS is purchased through the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.

Ben Bradshaw: Nutritional screening equipment for use in the national health service is not purchased through the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.

Obesity

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Quality Outcome Framework for GPs will be reviewed; whether there are plans to make tackling obesity part of the framework; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Quality and Outcome Framework (QOF) is kept under ongoing review and discussions between the General Practitioner Committee (GPC) and NHS Employers (NHSE) over contractual matters, including QOF continue to take place. Arrangements for improving the health of patients and delivering heath services for key components of the general practitioner contract, are covered by essential, additional and enhanced services as well as the QOF. Decisions on the most appropriate interventions detailed by general practice form part of the on going negotiations between GPC and NHSE. It would be inappropriate for the Department to pre-empt the outcome of those confidential contract discussions.

Paramedical Staff: Private Sector

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on underwriting indemnity insurance for private sector paramedic providers; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: There is no departmental policy held on underwriting indemnity insurance for private sector paramedic providers. This is a matter for the private ambulance providers to manage themselves.

Paramedical Staff: Private Sector

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on competition in service provision by paramedics; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has not issued guidance on competition in service provision by paramedics. It is up to the NHS Ambulance Trust locally to decide how to resource its front-line response to meet demand.
	The Department has however made clear that in commissioning patient transport services, contracts/service level agreements with providers should set out standards and requirements relating to a range of areas to ensure high quality, safe services.

Part IX Drug Tariff

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many errors, inaccuracies and omissions were identified by industry within his Department of Health's new part IX drug tariff categories; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Following publication of arrangements under the Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances and related services to Primary Care revised proposals on 6 September 2007, the Department received a number of representations that indicated that some errors highlighted in the item classification table in the November 2006 consultation had not been corrected in the latest published consultation document.
	In summary, 478 editorial changes have been requested; the majority could be considered errors, for example incorrect reference codes.
	In addition, 124 omissions have been identified mainly as a result of companies change of ownership during the course of this consultation.
	Departmental officials are currently considering the best way to incorporate these corrections. All stakeholders will be advised once a decision has been made.

Part IX Drug Tariff

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department will publish the revised categories for part IX of the drug tariff, which have been amended as a result of corrections and revisions submitted by industry prior to 9 November 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: Departmental officials are currently reviewing the best way to incorporate the corrections and revisions received from all stakeholders. When a decision has been reached all stakeholders will be advised.

Part IX Drug Tariff

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what redress companies will have in the event of a dispute about the accuracy of a product's classification under proposed changes to Part IX of the Drug Tariff;
	(2)  what changes he proposes to make to the classification in Part IX of the Drug Tariff; what consultation he proposes to hold on changes to this classification; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed classification of stoma and incontinence appliances under Part IX of the Drug Tariff on the introduction of innovative treatments in this field; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The consultation entitled Arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliancesand related servicesto Primary Care. Revised Proposals sets out the proposed changes to the classification of Part IX stoma and incontinence appliances. Copies of the consultation are available in the Library and is also available at
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_078135
	The consultation is the mechanism through which interested parties may comment on these proposals. Companies are encouraged to advise of errors or suggestions during the consultation which runs until 28 December 2007.
	One of the stated objectives of the Part IX review is the facilitation of innovative solutions. Views are sought on this by way of the consultation process and we have been reliant on the responses of stakeholders, including industry, in relation to the effects of these proposals may have. This in ongoing until the end of the consultation.

Patient Choice Schemes

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of hospital appointments were made using Choose and Book in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by primary care trust.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table gives the percentage of general practitioners referrals to first consultant out-patient appointments booked using Choose and Book in September 2007, broken down by primary care trust (PCT). The overall percentage was 39 per cent. rising to 47 per cent. in October 2007 (for which final results are not yet available by PCT).
	
		
			  PCT name  PCT code  Choose and Book Utilisation September 2007 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan 5HG 34 
			 Barking and Dagenham 5C2 35 
			 Barnet 5A9 25 
			 Barnsley 5JE 80 
			 Bassetlaw 5ET 70 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 5FL 20 
			 Bedfordshire 5P2 35 
			 Berkshire East Teaching 5QG 27 
			 Berkshire West 5QF 39 
			 Bexley Care Trust TAK 40 
			 Birmingham East and North 5PG 40 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Teaching 5CC 44 
			 Blackpool 5HP 65 
			 Bolton 5HQ 22 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching 5QN 62 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching 5NY 43 
			 Brent Teaching 5K5 33 
			 Brighton and Hove City Teaching 5LQ 31 
			 Bristol Teaching 5QJ 31 
			 Bromley 5A7 16 
			 Buckinghamshire 5QD 15 
			 Bury 5JX 53 
			 Calderdale 5J6 54 
			 Cambridgeshire 5PP 23 
			 Camden 5K7 27 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire 5NP 42 
			 Central Lancashire 5NG 44 
			 City and Hackney Teaching 5C3 75 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 5QP 43 
			 County Durham 5ND 46 
			 Coventry Teaching 5MD 79 
			 Croydon 5K9 34 
			 Cumbria 5NE 35 
			 Darlington 5J9 44 
			 Derby City 5N7 68 
			 Derbyshire County 5N6 68 
			 Devon 5QQ 52 
			 Doncaster 5N5 66 
			 Dorset 5QM 55 
			 Dudley 5PE 35 
			 Ealing 5HX 35 
			 East and North Hertfordshire 5P3 8 
			 East Lancashire 5NH 53 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 5NW 26 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald 5P7 23 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent Teaching 5QA 39 
			 Enfield 5C1 32 
			 Gateshead 5KF 32 
			 Gloucestershire 5QH 39 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney Teaching 5PR 32 
			 Greenwich Teaching 5A8 39 
			 Halton and St Helens 5NM 28 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 5H1 36 
			 Hampshire 5QC 36 
			 Haringey Teaching 5C9 23 
			 Harrow 5K6 46 
			 Hartlepool 5D9 48 
			 Hastings and Rother 5P8 17 
			 Havering 5A4 65 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching 5MX 35 
			 Herefordshire 5CN 39 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale 5NQ 49 
			 Hillingdon 5AT 21 
			 Hounslow 5HY 4 
			 Hull Teaching 5NX 60 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare 5QT 19 
			 Islington 5K8 44 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 5LA 45 
			 Kingston 5A5 44 
			 Kirklees 5N2 32 
			 Knowsley 5J4 38 
			 Lambeth 5LD 36 
			 Leeds 5N1 4 
			 Leicester City Teaching 5PC 54 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland 5PA 43 
			 Lewisham 5LF 0 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching 5N9 41 
			 Liverpool 5NL 46 
			 Luton Teaching 5GC 0 
			 Manchester 5NT 34 
			 Medway Teaching 5L3 48 
			 Mid Essex 5PX 24 
			 Middlesbrough 5KM 48 
			 Milton Keynes 5CQ 87 
			 Newcastle 5D7 28 
			 Newham 5C5 54 
			 Norfolk 5PQ 29 
			 North East Essex 5PW 36 
			 North East Lincolnshire 5AN 38 
			 North Lancashire 5NF 31 
			 North Lincolnshire 5EF 22 
			 North Somerset 5M8 32 
			 North Staffordshire 5PH 45 
			 North Tees 5E1 38 
			 North Tyneside 5D8 33 
			 North Yorkshire and York 5NV 34 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching 5PD 78 
			 Northumberland Care Trust TAC 25 
			 Nottingham City 5EM 56 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching 5N8 66 
			 Oldham 5J5 82 
			 Oxfordshire 5QE 70 
			 Peterborough 5PN 26 
			 Plymouth Teaching 5F1 59 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching 5FE 24 
			 Redbridge 5NA 60 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 5QR 51 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 5M6 38 
			 Rotherham 5H8 42 
			 Salford Teaching 5F5 43 
			 Sandwell 5PF 47 
			 Sefton 5NJ 26 
			 Sheffield 5N4 25 
			 Shropshire County 5M2 35 
			 Solihull TAM 34 
			 Somerset 5QL 78 
			 South Birmingham 5M1 29 
			 South East Essex 5P1 31 
			 South Gloucestershire 5A3 30 
			 South Staffordshire 5PK 36 
			 South Tyneside 5KG 52 
			 South West Essex Teaching 5PY 23 
			 Southampton City 5L1 44 
			 Southwark 5LE 40 
			 Stockport 5F7 78 
			 Stoke on Trent Teaching 5PJ 36 
			 Suffolk 5PT 14 
			 Sunderland Teaching 5KL 76 
			 Surrey 5P5 35 
			 Sutton and Merton 5M7 24 
			 Swindon 5K3 42 
			 Tameside and Glossop 5LH 44 
			 Telford and Wrekin 5MK 42 
			 Torbay Care Trust TAL 57 
			 Tower Hamlets 5C4 78 
			 Trafford 5NR 21 
			 Wakefield 5N3 27 
			 Walsall Teaching 5M3 27 
			 Waltham Forest 5NC 74 
			 Wandsworth 5LG 21 
			 Warrington 5J2 22 
			 Warwickshire 5PM 50 
			 West Cheshire 5NN 42 
			 West Essex 5PV 27 
			 West Hertfordshire 5P4 20 
			 West Kent 5P9 22 
			 West Sussex Teaching 5P6 32 
			 Westminster 5LC 33 
			 Wiltshire 5QK 33 
			 Wirral 5NK 62 
			 Wolverhampton City 5MV 30 
			 Worcestershire 5PL 26 
			 England Total 39

Patient Choice Schemes

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the Information Centre for Health and Social Care has made in its project supporting the patient choice agenda, as stated on the Our Priorities for 2007-08 section of its website; what outcome measures which can be used to support choice have been identified; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Good progress has been made in supporting the patient choice agenda. The Information Centre for health and social care is making a substantial contribution to the new national health service choices website. The Information Centre also provides information on a number of outcome measures, in particular:
	an online database of general practitioner practice results under the Quality and Outcomes Framework, available at www.qof.ic.nhs.uk;
	provision of information for the Healthcare Commission's web tool that enables heart patients to get easy access to information giving reliable facts and figures about survival rates; and
	a website to give parents and carers of children with congenital heart disease information to help them make decisions about their child's treatment, including survival rates for the most common types of treatment.

Pharmacy: Standards

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect of pharmaceutical regulations on dispensing doctors' surgeries; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2005 contain provisions that relate to both community pharmacy and dispensing doctors. These provisions include the procedures that are to be followed by primary care trusts in deciding whether a new provider can enter the market and the impact of any decision on existing local services. The operation of these provisions is kept under review and discussed with the various representative bodies as necessary.

Prescriptions: Information and Communications Technology

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to agree the model for the smartcards required for the second phase of electronic prescribing.

Ben Bradshaw: In the near future. The model will conform with the commitments given in the care record guarantee, which requires access to patient-identifiable information to be controlled by use of individual user smartcards, a valid pass code, role-based access controls and a user profile linked to the organisation in which the user is working. Officials are now working with stakeholders to agree the operational detail which will underpin these requirements and this work is expected to complete shortly.

Prescriptions: Information and Communications Technology

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will wait until all system suppliers have received NHS Connecting for Health accreditation before he moves to the second stage of live electronic prescribing.

Ben Bradshaw: Programme management best practice recommends an incremental approach to implementation for large-scale information technology-enabled change programmes. This approach was adopted for the electronic prescription service (EPS) release 1 and we intend to adopt the same best-practice approach for release 2.
	A number of initial implementer primary care trusts (PCTs) have been identified for deployment of release 2 of the EPS. Following achievement of technical accreditation, systems will be rolled out on a limited basis in these PCTs prior to wider accreditation and national deployment.

Primary Care Trusts: Finance

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the financial position of each primary care trust was at the most recent date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  PCTs 2007-08 quarter 2 forecast outturn position 
			  PCT name  2007-08 Q2 forecast outturn surplus/(deficit)  (000) 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan primary care trust PCT 2,250 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 15,900 
			 Barnet PCT 0 
			 Barnsley PCT 1,878 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 2,750 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 4,736 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 0 
			 Berkshire East Teaching PCT 0 
			 Berkshire West PCT (3,846) 
			 Bexley PCT 0 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 3,200 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Teaching PCT 4,900 
			 Blackpool PCT 3,165 
			 Bolton PCT 1,000 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching PCT 5,783 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 3,277 
			 Brent Teaching PCT (4,000) 
			 Brighton and Hove City Teaching PCT 3,000 
			 Bristol Teaching PCT 3,701 
			 Bromley PCT 0 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT (10,001) 
			 Bury PCT 250 
			 Calderdale PCT 1,300 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 0 
			 Camden PCT 2,008 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 1,011 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 6,360 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 5,000 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 2,725 
			 County Durham PCT 8,000 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 4,026 
			 Croydon PCT 3,550 
			 Cumbria PCT 139 
			 Darlington PCT 0 
			 Derby City PCT 2,300 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 12,991 
			 Devon PCT 3,695 
			 Doncaster PCT 2,012 
			 Dorset PCT 3,070 
			 Dudley PCT 2,000 
			 Ealing PCT 1,500 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 0 
			 East Lancashire PCT 11,068 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 1,729 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 0 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent Teaching PCT 4,000 
			 Enfield PCT (11,078) 
			 Gateshead PCT 0 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 2,798 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney Teaching PCT 0 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 357 
			 Halton and St. Helens PCT 290 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 10,000 
			 Hampshire PCT 0 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 1,876 
			 Harrow PCT 0 
			 Hartlepool PCT 250 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 2,000 
			 Havering PCT 0 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 9,680 
			 Herefordshire PCT 675 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 3,430 
			 Hillingdon PCT 0 
			 Hounslow PCT (2,464) 
			 Hull Teaching PCT 1,856 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare PCT 1,250 
			 Islington PCT 0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 5,042 
			 Kingston PCT 1,619 
			 Kirklees PCT 2,650 
			 Knowsley PCT 1,400 
			 Lambeth PCT 1,412 
			 Leeds PCT 0 
			 Leicester City Teaching PCT 2,194 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 0 
			 Lewisham PCT 0 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 4,144 
			 Liverpool PCT 17,752 
			 Luton Teaching PCT 0 
			 Manchester PCT 2,000 
			 Medway Teaching PCT 3,207 
			 Mid Essex PCT 526 
			 Middlesbrough 891 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 3,000 
			 Newcastle PCT 500 
			 Newham PCT 2,400 
			 Norfolk PCT 0 
			 North East Essex PCT 0 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT 1,052 
			 North Lancashire PCT 456 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 952 
			 North Somerset PCT (12,000) 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 1,981 
			 North Tyneside PCT 0 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT (19,179) 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 4,178 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 0 
			 Nottingham City PCT 6,519 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 10,000 
			 Oldham PCT 1,500 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 9,000 
			 Peterborough PCT 1,500 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 5,046 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 8,808 
			 Redbridge PCT 18,200 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 884 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 0 
			 Rotherham PCT 1,651 
			 Salford Teaching PCT 1,000 
			 Sandwell PCT 1,500 
			 Sefton PCT 1,000 
			 Sheffield PCT 0 
			 Shropshire County PCT 1,088 
			 Solihull Care Trust 777 
			 Somerset PCT 5,110 
			 South Birmingham PCT 10,000 
			 South East Essex PCT 0 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 1,103 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 6,802 
			 South Tyneside PCT 0 
			 South West Essex Teaching PCT 12,719 
			 Southampton City PCT 2,000 
			 Southwark PCT 0 
			 Stockport PCT 1,756 
			 Stockton-on-Tees Teaching PCT 8,000 
			 Stoke on Trent Teaching PCT 2,023 
			 Suffolk PCT 0 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 0 
			 Surrey PCT 0 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT (3,952) 
			 Swindon PCT 935 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 2,000 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 11,420 
			 Torbay Care Trust 7,881 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 3,500 
			 Trafford PCT 880 
			 Wakefield District PCT 2,223 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 9,436 
			 Waltham Forest PCT (814) 
			 Wandsworth PCT 6,423 
			 Warrington PCT 1,400 
			 Warwickshire PCT (3,799) 
			 West Cheshire PCT 1,600 
			 West Essex PCT 0 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 0 
			 West Kent PCT 0 
			 West Sussex Teaching PCT 0 
			 Westminster PCT 8,685 
			 Wiltshire PCT (22,000) 
			 Wirral PCT 10,000 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 16,753 
			 Worcestershire PCT 2,000 
			  Source:  Department of Health financial monitoring

Queen's Hospital Romford: Food

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by his Department on food outlets at the new Queen's Hospital, Romford.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally. It is for individual national health service organisations to determine the level and type of refreshments provided for people visiting their relatives, friends or attending out-patient clinics at NHS establishments.

Queen's Hospital Romford: Private Finance Initiative

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what annual payments are required to be made by  (a) Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS hospitals trust and  (b) other NHS bodies under the private finance initiative contract for the Queen's hospital in Romford; to whom such payments are made; and what the duration of the contract is.

Ben Bradshaw: Based on the latest service payment invoice for the period covering the quarter to 15 January 2008, the annualised value of the service payments is approximately 40.7 million per year. This figure excludes value added tax (VAT), but VAT is reclaimable under current national health service arrangements.
	The payments are made to Catalyst Healthcare (Romford) Ltd.
	The contract term is 36 years, covering the construction and operational period, which expires on 15 January 2040.

Retirement

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department requires its employees to retire at the latest at 65 years of age; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The retirement age for employees of the Department, as of 1 October 2006, is 65 years of age. Employees who reach age 60 after 1 October 2006 can elect whether to retire or remain in employment for a period of their choosing, up to age 65. Employees also have the right to request to work beyond age 65. Agreement will normally be given unless there are valid business reasons for turning down a request. Employees making such requests are subject to the usual requirements of conduct and capability to carry out their duties. Extensions after age 65 are not normally agreed for more than one year at a time.

Social Services: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 838-9W, on social services: finance, whether the official steering group is the same as the review of the social care funding group announced by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Byrne) on 30 March 2006.

Ivan Lewis: The official steering group, led by Her Majesty's Treasury, is not the same as the Department of Health Comprehensive Spending Review social care working group, which was announced by the then Parliamentary-under Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Byrne), on 30 March 2006.

Social Services: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the review of social care funding group announced by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Byrne) on 30 March 2006 made of  (a) the long-term costs and cost pressures associated with social care,  (b) who should pay for social care services,  (c) secondary products relevant to long-term care and  (d) options for whole system reform.

Ivan Lewis: The Department's Comprehensive Spending Review Social Care Working Group considered a range of issues around the long term funding of social care. The Group's work was factored in to the Departments plans for social care funding in relation to the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007.

St. George's Hospital Hornchurch: Hospital Beds

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average bed occupancy rate was at St. George's hospital, Hornchurch in each month of the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not held in the format requested. Information on average bed occupancy rates are only held at trust level. The following table shows average daily bed occupancy rates at North East London Mental Health Trust, which includes St. George's hospital, for the last three years.
	
		
			   Occupancy  r ate ( o ccupied/ a vailable  b eds x 100 per cent.) 
			 2006-07 92.7 
			 2005-06 93.1 
			 2004-05 97.1 
			  Source:  Department of Health from KH03

Surgery: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled at each London hospital within  (a) seven days and  (b) 24 hours of the appointment in each of the last five years. [Official Report, 22 May 2008, Vol. 476, c. 6MC.]

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Cancelled operations for non clinical reasons, NHS organisations in London, 2002-03 to 2006-07 and  2007-08 Q1 only 
			Number of last minute cancs for non clinical reasons 
			  Org ID  Name  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08( 1) 
			  England 67,254 66,303 68,569 60,803 52,005 12,492 
			 RF4 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust 2,168 2,147 2,426 1,566 906 140 
			 RVL Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 1,346 404 399 279 294 66 
			 RNJ Barts and The London NHS Trust 928 593 502 506 531 96 
			 RG3 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 324 425 289 214 181 32 
			 RQM Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust 185 151 180 115 103 41 
			 RC3 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 267 206 140 142 124 46 
			 RVR Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust 353 698 608 281 270 121 
			 RP4 Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust 290 143 119 146 115 30 
			 RJ1 Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust 554 450 739 884 866 287 
			 RQN Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust 504 390 688 625 614 160 
			 RQX Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 52 68 24 45 50 20 
			 RJZ King's College Hospital NHS Trust 318 180 227 209 153 51 
			 RAX Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 140 223 168 182 116 45 
			 RJ6 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust 549 678 226 129 50 11 
			 RP6 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 74 74 62 292 151 72 
			 RNH Newham University Hospital NHS Trust 226 156 118 79 146 46 
			 RV8 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 617 433 542 480 457 88 
			 RGZ Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 199 75 91 52 78 24 
			 RT3 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust 244 190 183 233 177 43 
			 RAL Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 341 285 306 460 268 48 
			 RAN Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 151 154 97 144 167 54 
			 RJ7 St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust 354 765 1,065 753 666 143 
			 RBN St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust 171 126 192 159 193 45 
			 RJ5 St. Mary's NHS Trust 97 365 367 303 192 25 
			 RAS The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust 360 247 137 150 103 17 
			 RJ2 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 42 199 187 136 165 25 
			 RPY The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust 68 83 141 72 79 14 
			 RKE The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 134 87 102 122 111 34 
			 RRV University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 157 272 483 547 605 161 
			 RFW West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 105 116 52 69 28 30 
			 RGC Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 332 389 494 312 261 36 
			 (1) Q1 only  Notes: The table shows the organisations as they existed, at the time of each collection. A last minute cancellation is one that occurs on the day the patient was due to arrive, after they have arrived in hospital or on the day of their operation. Some common non-clinical reasons for cancellations by the hospital include: ward beds unavailable; surgeon unavailable; emergency case needing theatre; theatre list over-ran; equipment failure; admin error; anaesthetist unavailable; theatre staff unavailable; and critical care bed unavailable. An operation which is rescheduled to a time within 24 hours of the original scheduled operation should be recorded as a postponement and not as a cancellation. The QMCO collection does not record the number of postponements.  Source:  Department of Health dataset QMCO